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Secret of the Sevens
Release Date: 06/2015
Flux Publishing
Summary from Goodreads:
Everyone at Singer, a boarding school for underprivileged
kids, knows the urban legend of the Society of Seven. Decades ago, the original members of the
secret guild for elite students murdered the school's founder and then perished in the fire they lit
to hide the evidence. Or so the story goes.
Talan Michaels doesn't care about Singer's past. He's too
focused on his future and the fact that he'll be homeless after he graduates in May. To take his
mind off it, he accepts a mysterious invitation to join a group calling itself the
Sevens.
He expects pranks, parties, and perks. Instead, he finds
himself neck-deep in a conspiracy involving secret passages and cryptic riddles about the
school's history. Even worse, he's now tangled in web of lies someone will kill to keep
hidden.
“At the end of the day, it’s Talan and his endearing
combination of bravado and vulnerability, coupled with the crackling chemistry he shares with
Laney, that will keep readers turning the pages. A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and
romantics alike.” – Kirkus Reviews
I wrap an arm around her shoulder. “I didn’t say anything about dropping out. It’ll be fine. I’ll be
careful. I promise.” Without thinking, I bundle her close and kiss her forehead.
The second I do it, I’m paralyzed. Laney and I don’t have the kind of friendship where we hug or
kiss. Hell, we don’t even touch when we pass the salt at dinner. My arms tense like wood around
her back, and I hold my breath waiting for her reaction. I’m a mannequin trapped in a pose while
my brain scrambles to come up with a joke I can crack when she pushes me away.
Only she never does.
She nestles inside my arms instead. It’s obvious she’s lost in thought about something, but she
still seems pretty damn comfortable.
And so am I.
I’m not used to girls touching me. Well, not like this anyway. I’m blown away by how different
this feels. Lying here all peaceful, with uptight Delaney Shanahan all soft and cuddly, snuggling
me like a body pillow.
I allow myself to exhale. My hand rests on the center of her back, rising and falling with her
even, steady breaths. Her body forms to mine, and I catch a whiff of that lavender stuff again.
She lies in a daze with her hand resting over a scar on my chest.
“Stay right there,” I say, sitting up. “I’m cold. I’m just gonna grab a shirt real quick.”
“No.” She nudges me back against the pillow, trapping my eyes with hers. “I’ve seen them
before,” she whispers. “They don’t bother me.”
She lowers her head to my chest again and rides her finger over the raised scar that sits over my
heart. I reach for her fingers, but she gently nudges my hand aside. “It looks like an S,” she says.
“It is. For Superman.”
She laughs softly and traces over the scar again. “How did you get this, Talan?”
I stumble over my words. “I... I’ve told you. On a playground when I was little.”
“No,” she says quietly, without looking at me. “How did you really get it?”
I’d push her away, but it feels too good, like I’ve been starving for her touch. Her fingers glide
warm and tender over my bare skin. That ticklish “S” is totally screwing with me. My nerve
endings are whipped into a frenzy. I try to think of something besides her, but it’s too late. My
body is painfully aware that I’m lying half-dressed and alone in my bed with Laney, her hands
running over my bare chest and her warm curves molded to mine behind a locked door.
Maybe I should try that kiss again, only this time…
“Talan?”
Laney jerks her head up.
“Please tell me it was you that just said my name,” I whisper.
Terror colors her cheeks as she slowly shakes her head from side to side.
“Talan? Are you in there with Laney?” It’s Mom Shanahan.
Laney jumps up and yanks me off the bed so hard that I land on the floor with a thud.
“Yes, we’re in here!” Laney yells a little too enthusiastically. “You can come in Mom. We’re not
doing anything.”
Mom jiggles the knob, but the door won’t open. “Why is this door locked?” she shouts.
“Oh fug!” Laney trips over my backpack in her rush to open it.
She reaches it about the same time I notice that the map and Sevens’ note are still spread out on
my bed. I dive across the mattress, scrambling to bury the papers under my bedspread before
Mom sees them.
When her mother walks in, I’m sprawled bare-chested across my bed, sweating profusely and
trying to smooth out my tangled sheets and crumpled comforter. Laney stands next to the
doorway, gnawing nervously on her thumbnail. Her hair is mussed and her face is redder than a
sunburn.
I’m not sure what it looks like we were doing, but from the expression on Mom’s face, she isn’t
giving us the benefit of the doubt anymore.
Ah shit.
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About the Author
Lynn Lindquist lives in a suburb of Chicago with two overly-social sons and a mutt named
Slugger who wisely hides under the bed most days. The hordes of teenagers that regularly
frequent her house (think Panama City Beach during spring break) provide fodder for her young
adult novels and growing anxiety disorder. Ever since her sons broke the Guinness Record for
Largest-Rager-Thrown-While-a-Parent-Was-Out-for-the-Night, she enjoys spending her free
time at home entertaining friends, cooking, reading, and writing. Thankfully, her favorite things
in life are her sons, words, and kids, so she wouldn’t have it any other way. She is
represented by Katherine Boyle at Veritas Literary Agency.
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