Excerpt & Giveaway – Periphery by AA Dasilva
Synopsis
Charlotte barely survived the accident that killed her husband four years ago. Resuscitated a savant, she struggles to find meaning in her survival. When she meets Simon, a mysteriously familiar stranger, they are drawn to each other with undeniable magnetism. But Simon is contracted to a black-ops agency. With the agency on her heels, and Simon claiming her heart, Charlotte’s past and future collide when she’s offered a chance to reconnect with her late husband. As secrets are revealed, motives uncovered, and alliances are formed, Charlotte must choose…between the fate of the world and the fate of her heart.
Amazon * The Wild Rose Press
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Excerpt
Chapter 1
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” –Albert Einstein
I folded my arms tightly across my chest, my hands clenched into fists. A wave of nausea rolled through me as the car slowed to a stop.
“This conversation is over, Charlotte. I am not having an affair. My father is deploying me to Virginia for a classified mission. It’s my job, my duty.” Jared stared at the intersection, waiting for the light to turn green, his face composed and smooth.
“But why would Kayla say that?” I gritted my teeth.
“Because her husband has affairs when he gets deployed, ever think of that? Takes the heat off him when he makes it sound like we all do it,” Jared retorted.
I chewed on my lip, turning over his response in my head as I stared at the cherry blossoms across the street, buds ready to pop with the impending spring.
“Look at me, Charly,” Jared coaxed.
I loosened my fists and looked over to meet his dark eyes.
He smiled widely, his face so handsome it should be illegal.
“I’m sorry, I know she’s a troublemaker.” I sighed.
Jared was traveling more than ever lately, but such was military life. I was going to have to approach this differently after his deployment.
“It’s only you, doll.” He turned to watch the road as we accelerated.
I kept my gaze on his face, searching for genuineness in his reply.
A piercing screech deafened me, and the hairs along my neck prickled in response to the unexpected sound. There was no time to turn to see where it came from. Noises began to coalesce—the relentless shriek of tires attempting to stop several thousand pounds of unyielding metal, hot rubber dragging across asphalt, exploding glass.
Jared’s body swung uncontrollably away from the source of the impact.
And red, so much red suspended around us just before the darkness swallowed me up completely.
****
“Blood pressure is eighty over sixty and dropping fast!” A man shouted loud enough to be heard over the chaos.
My aching head was stabilized in a collar, but my legs bounced from the hard thump as the gurney was pushed over the threshold and into the trauma bay. I tried to open my eyes, but a rush of warm blood pooled near my eyes, blinding me.
“Oxygen’s dropping, pulse is weak; she’s going into shock!” A voice, this time female, called out between the wailing and buzzing of machines.
Cold scissors slid across my skin and cut through my clothes. Scattered footsteps clamored around the room. There was the crinkle of packages being ripped open, metal trays clanging, the pop of a syringe being uncapped.
“Blood loss estimated to be greater than twenty percent. Page the blood bank and tell them to activate the mass-transfusion protocol, STAT!” The man shouted over the cacophony.
“We’re losing her! Clearing the airway!”
The female’s yelling was followed by more package-tearing, a pinprick into my hand, wheels rolling, curtain grommets sliding on a metal rod with a tinny whoosh.
“We’ve got to get her to the O.R.!”
I was moving, floating almost, and I could tell by the rhythmic pulse of light behind my lids that they were transporting me quickly. Something was over my face pushing air into my lungs without any effort of my own.
And then there was darkness again. The pulsing of lights overhead stopped, and for half a heartbeat, the world fell unnervingly silent. The silence faded as soft music pierced the darkness. The music encircled me like warm sunlight on a summer day.
I opened my eyes and saw a sunny road ahead. I slowed the car and lowered the radio, trying to think about where I was and where I was going. My chrome keychain swung from the ignition and reflected the sunlight across the empty passenger seat, leaving a spectacular pattern of glittering light in its wake. I blinked a few times. Jared was driving just moments ago, wasn’t he?
I was overwhelmed with memories of the accident and trauma bay, while contending with a rush of memories that weren’t mine. A foreign road lined with evergreens, a soldier I had to meet with. A nagging pit formed in my stomach, telling me I had to get to this person I’d never seen before, his face just out of reach of my memory as if formed from a dream. I needed to warn this man. Fast. He was in danger. With laser focus, the memories of the accident began to fade, and I began navigating the road with undue knowledge of how to get to him.
Time was running out.
About the Author
Born and raised in New England, AA DaSilva has a degree in clinical laboratory science and brings her love of science and writing together via science fiction. When she’s not writing or working in the lab, she can be found with a book in one hand, and a cup of iced coffee in the other. She resides in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and pup Didi (who looks suspiciously like an Ewok).
Her award-winning debut novel, Periphery, is a science fiction love story that explores fate, strength, and the choices that determine our destiny.
Book two in AA DaSilva’s Periphery series, titled The Bleed-Through Effect, is forthcoming in 2025 from The Wild Rose Press. For the latest updates on new releases and events, sign up for email updates and follow her on socials.
