Meet Daniel: He's nineteen, Headboy of the school, Captain of the First XV rugby team, lives with his grandmother and in his spare time he manages the family welding/fabricating business since the death of his grandfather. (Obviously has excellent time management skills!) But of course the best thing about Daniel, is his 'inner beauty'...
- Ms Sivan spoke in her short clipped tones over the chatter of the class. “Today we will combine with 6M for an impromptu debate…” a collective groan from the class “and there will be no sounds of angst thank you very much!”
The class moved quickly in spite of their complaining to make room for the others and there was an undercurrent of excitement as everyone seemed to relish the idea of a change to the usual routine. We had to cram even closer in the already crowded classroom and I was busy trying to squeeze myself into a gap between Simone and a girl called Sinalei when he walked in.
The boy from the assembly yesterday. He paused in the doorway for a moment as he surveyed the room searching for an empty seat. Against my will his beauty took my breath away. He was tall enough that I was sure even my 5'11 height would have to crane to look up in his startling emerald eyes. He was red and gold in the morning sunlight with thick raven brows, one of them flecked with a slight scar, his tousled burnished red-brown hair another startling contrast in a school full of brunettes. Broad but lean, like a rippling basketball player. But it was the tattoo adorning the length of his left arm which caught and held my gaze captive. I had never seen anything like it before – it curved down his shoulder, peering from where his sleeve ended. Intricate patterns of black stamped down to his forearm. I was so intent on studying his tattoo that I failed to realize he was staring straight at me, a crooked smile on his face as if he found my fascination amusing. Our eyes met and in that fleeting moment, it was as if all the air had fled the room and the madness of fifty students crammed into a room meant for twenty faded to a distant blur. Try as I might, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his, even as my radar screamed a warning…Leila stop it! This meathead is way used to girls staring at him gaga eyed – stop it!
Excerpt from the first book in the Telesa series: "The Covenant Keeper