The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide (the black dagger brotherhood)

by Дж. Р. Уорд

  The way I view it? This series has pushed a lot of boundaries, pushed them hard, but I’ve always been careful about the hows and the whys. I truly try to be respectful of the genre that gave me my start and has long been my book of choice—and romance is and will continue to be the basis of each of the Brotherhood books.

  On that note…V and Jane as a couple. Man, they were hot. I didn’t blush as much at the computer as I did with Butch, although whether that was because the cop brought me to a new level or I just expected that kind of stuff from V, I’m not sure.

  The scene where V’s in his bed and Jane is giving him a sponge bath was really erotic, and I saw everything about it so clearly. Especially this part where she’s, ah, attending to a certain place:

  …but then he moaned low in his throat and his head kicked back, his blue-black hair feathering over the black pillow. As his hips flexed upward, his stomach muscles tightened in a sequential rush, the tattoos at his groin stretching and returning to position.

  “Faster, Jane. You’re going to do it faster for me now.”

  —LOVER UNBOUND, p. 178

  For V, before Jane came along, sex and emotions were not linked at all. In fact, except for Butch, and to some extent the Brotherhood, emotions were just not a part of his life, and that makes sense. Growing up in the war camp left him with an attachment disorder that persisted into adulthood and colored his relationships. The question is, then, what made Jane—and for that matter Butch—different?

  I think Jane and Butch are a lot alike—for one thing, they’ve both got the smart-ass thing down. Take for instance this little volley between V and Jane, which is one of my favorite exchanges in all the books:

  “Don’t want you near that hand of mine. Even if it’s gloved.”

  “Why is—”

  “I’m not talking about it. So don’t even ask.”

  Okaaaay. “It nearly killed one of my nurses, you know.”

  “I’m not surprised.” He glared at the glove. “I’d cut it off if I had the chance.”

  “I wouldn’t advise that.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t. You don’t know what it’s like to live with this nightmare on the end of your arm—”

  “No, I meant I’d have someone else do the cutting if I were you. You’re more likely to get the job done that way.”

  There was a beat of silence; then the patient barked out a laugh. “Smart-ass.”

  —LOVER UNBOUND, pp. 171–172

  I also think V’s into Jane because she’s no weak and floundering woman. The scene of her abduction from the hospital shows that, especially here when Rhage has her over his shoulder, and Phury is trying to calm her using his mind control tricks:

  “You gotta knock her cold, my brother,” Rhage said, then grunted. “I don’t want to hurt her, and V said she had to come with us.”

  “This was not supposed to be a kidnap operation.”

  “Too fucking late. Now knock her out, would ya?” Rhage grunted again and switched his grip, his hand leaving her mouth to catch one of her flailing arms.

  Her voice came through loud and clear. “So help me, God, I’m going to—”

  Phury took her chin in his hand and forced her head up. “Relax,” he said softly. “Just ease up.”

  He locked his stare on hers and began to will her into calmness…will her into calmness…will her into—

  “Fuck you!” she spat. “I’m not letting you kill my patient!”

  —LOVER UNBOUND, p. 103

  At that moment, Jane reminds of me of Butch back in Dark Lover, after he brings Beth to Darius’s mansion and faces off at the Brothers. Even outnumbered, he’s still a fighter. And so is Jane.

  I also believe that both Jane and Butch are driven to do good in the world. Between her being a surgeon and Butch being a cop, the two of them are cut in the hero mold—so V has a lot of respect for them.

  Finally I suspect, as appears to be true for all the Brothers, there is a pheromone thing happening. The Brothers, and indeed all the males I’ve seen thus far, seem to bond instantaneously and irrevocably when they get into the vicinity of their mate. So I can only assume there’s some kind of instinctual component at work.

  But back to V and Jane. From my perspective, one of the strongest emotional exchanges in the book comes when V allows Jane to Dom him at his penthouse, right before he lets her go. For him to put himself at the mercy of someone sexually, considering what had been done to him the night of his transition when he was held down and partially castrated, is the biggest commitment he can make to another person. The scene, which starts on page 315, really shows him for the first time in his life choosing to be defenseless. Back in the war camp, as a pretrans, he was vulnerable by circumstance and physical design, and he’s spent the rest of his life making sure he’s never at the mercy of anyone. With Jane, however, he is willingly giving himself over to someone else. It’s a declaration of love that goes farther than words.

  And again, that’s my point about sex scenes. Yes, that stuff between them was hot, but it’s manifestly significant to their character development.

  Now for a word about the Scribe Virgin and V.

  Talk about mother issues, huh? When V first sauntered onstage in Dark Lover, I knew that hand of his was significant, but I had no idea just how important it was or what its larger implications were. In fact, during the writing of the first two books, even I didn’t have a clue that Vishous was the son of the Scribe Virgin. It’s kind of like Boo or the coffins: When I see something really vividly, I put it in, in spite of the fact that I might not know what it has to do with anything.

  It wasn’t until Lover Awakened-ish that it clicked: white light equals Scribe Virgin. V has white light. Therefore V equals Scribe Virgin. I thought it was a great twist, and I was so good about not blabbing about it on the message boards or at signings when my leaf (the one that keeps secrets inside) dropped. Frankly, once I tweaked to V’s lineage, I was surprised that no one else really caught the connection. (I think there might have been one or two speculations on the boards that got close, but I deflected them with lawyerly nonanswers.)

  In Lover Unbound, V and his mom had a hard time relating, which, given what she’d kept from him and what she’d been complicit in subjecting him to, is understandable. But things worked out, and for a lot of people, their favorite scene in the book is the one at the end, where Vishous goes to see his mother:

  “What have you brought?” [the Directrix] whispered.

  “Little present. Nothing much.” He walked over to the white tree with the white blossoms and opened his hands. The parakeet leaped free and took to a branch as if it knew that was its home now.

  The brilliant yellow bird shuffled up and down the pale arm of the tree, its little feet gripping and releasing, gripping and releasing. It pecked at a blossom, let out a trill…brought a foot up and pedaled its neck.

  V put his hands on his hips and measured how much space there was between all the blossoms on all the branches. He was going to have to bring over a shitload of birds.

  The Chosen’s voice was rife with emotion. “She gave them up for you.”

  “Yeah. And I’m bringing her new ones.”

  “But the sacrifice—”

  “Has been made. What’s going on this tree is a gift.” He looked over his shoulder. “I’m going to fill it up whether she likes it or not. It’s her choice what she does with them.”

  The Chosen’s eyes gleamed with gratitude. “She will keep them.

  And they will keep her from her solitude.”

  V took a deep breath. “Yeah. Good. Because…”

  He let the word drift, and the Chosen said gently, “You don’t have to say it.”

  He cleared his throat. “So you’ll tell her they’re from me?”

  “I won’t have to. Who else but her son would do such a kindness?”

  Vishous glanced back at the lone yellow bird in the midst of the white tree. He pictured the branches filled once agai
n.

  “True,” he said.

  —LOVER UNBOUND, pp. 501–502

  The Scribe Virgin is not one of the most popular forces in the series. Personally, I respect her, and to see her giving up her one personal attachment (her birds) to balance the gift she gives her son (in the form of Jane coming back) really got to me. I’ve had people ask why she can’t just fix everything, i.e., with respect to Wellsie and Tohr (even John Matthew broaches this issue, too), but the thing is, she’s not a total free agent in the world she created. Absolute destiny is always at work—and is the purview of her father, I suspect.

  V and his mother are reconciled to some degree at the end of Lover Unbound. But what remains to be seen is what happens when V’s twin, Payne, comes forward. Somehow I don’t think V is going to take that well to the way his sister’s been treated—or the fact that his mother has never mentioned Payne to him previously.

  So that’s Lover Unbound.

  They say that every author in the course of a career has a couple of books that are just grueling, and Vishous’s was definitely that way for me. Each one of the Brotherhood books has been a unique challenge, and getting them out is WORK. I struggle at the computer every day, but there’s always some small reward, whether it’s a dialogue exchange that really sings, or a great description, or a really good chapter ending. With V, the rewards were delayed, to be sure. It wasn’t until the final product was done that I sat back and was like, Okay, this works. This is all right.

  I’m proud of LU, and I think it is a good book…I’m just really grateful that the Brother who came next was true to his nature—a total gentleman.

  Because if it had been another like V?

  I don’t know that I could have gone through that kind of struggle again right away.

  Phury, Son of Ahgony

  “I am the strength of the race. I am the Primale. And so shall I rule!”

  —LOVER ENSHRINED, p. 484

  Age: 230

  Joined Brotherhood: 132

  Height: 6′6″

  Weight: 275–285 lbs.

  Hair color: Multicolored

  Eye color: Yellow

  Identifying physical marks: Star-shaped scar of the Brotherhood on left pec; missing lower half of right leg; name CORMIA carved across shoulders in the Old Language.

  Weapon of choice: Dagger.

  Description:

  Phury dragged a hand through his outrageous hair. The stuff fell down past his shoulders, all blond and red and brown waves. He was a handsome Joe without it; with that mane, he was…okay, fine, the Brother was beautiful. Not that Butch went that way, but the guy was better looking than a lot of women. Dressed better than most of the ladies, too, when he wasn’t m his ass-kicking clothes.

  Man, it was a good thing he fought like a nasty bastard or he might have been taken for a nancy.

  —LOVER AWAKENED, p. 44

  …Phury knew damn well he was stuck m an endless loop, going around arid around like the head of a drill, digging further and further underground. With each new level that he sank to, he tapped into deeper and richer veins of poisonous ore, ones that spidered up through the bedrock of his life and enticed him down even farther. He was heading for the source, for the consummation with hell that was fits ultimate destination, and each lower plateau was his malignant encouragement.

  —LOVER AWAKENED, p. 68

  Mated to: The Chosen Cormia

  Personal Qs (answered by Phury):

  Last movie watched: What About Bob? with Bill Murray

  List book read: Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss (to Nalla)

  Favorite TV show: Can’t really think of a favorite—I’m not big into TV, to be honest.

  Last TV show watched: Unwrapped on the Food Channel—with the Chosen—they love to see how things are made. I think it was on potatoes?

  Last game played: Gin rummy with Layla and Selena.

  Greatest fear: Letting down the people whom I love.

  Greatest love: Cormia

  Favorite quote: “Heroes are made, not born.”

  Boxers or briefs: Depends on the cut of the trousers.

  Watch: Cartier men’s Tank in gold.

  Car: BMW M5 dark gray/silver.

  What time is it while you’re filling this out: 10 p.m.

  Where are you? Rehvenge’s Great Camp in the Adirondacks.

  What are you wearing? Canali dress slacks, in cream, bright white button-down from Pink with citrine studs as cuff links (present from my shellan), black Hermes belt, black Hermes loafers (no logo because of the one on the belt), no socks.

  What’s in your closet? How much time do you have? I like Italian designers, for the most part. I wear a lot of Gucci. Have some Prada, of course, and the old standbys Armani and Valentino for men. Zegna and Canali. But I also have I said, who’s a real up-and-comer, although the ordering process is complicated, and Tom Ford, who, thank God, got back in the game. I go through English moods as well and get out my Dunhill and Aquascutum. Not a lot of French, I’m afraid. No, wait…I’m getting some Dior later tins week. The artist in me loves beautiful clothing. I like how it hangs off your body and die silhouettes it creates. And there’s no need to be uncivilized if you have the choice. By the way, it’s hard to believe Butch and I have the same taste. We actually bond over it.

  What was the last thing you ate? Cranberry scone with clotted cream.

  Describe your last dream? I was shopping. And not tor clothes. I was in this supermarket with a cart full of laundry detergent and fabric softener, going up and down the aisles looking tor the way to check out. It was truly bizarre. Weirder still when I woke up, because Layla said she wanted to learn how to use the washing machine. (The lesson didn’t go well, unfortunately. I love that female, but the domestic arts? Not her thing. She does, however, have a spectacular skill of which we’re all in awe.)

  Coke or Pepsi? Neither. I don’t like sodas.

  Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe? Audrey. Hands down.

  Kirk or Picard? Picard.

  Football or baseball? Neither. I’m not a huge sports guy. Better to ask me Leonardo or Michelangelo. And it would be Michelangelo.

  Sexiest part of a female? I’m going to pass on this one. I’m just not comfortable answering that kind of thing.

  What do you like most about Cormia? The way she looks at me.

  Most romantic thing you’ve ever done for her: You’d have to ask Cormia. But I make certain that every day I do a little something that is just for her. Whether it’s making sure that she has enough of the toothpaste she likes, or taking her for a driving lesson, or finding a perfect hawk feather out in the woods and bringing it back to her, or surprising her with a flat stone I found in a riverbed. The small things matter—especially as she’s just getting used to the idea of having property that is hers and hers alone. And, you know…my shellan doesn’t favor fancy jewelry or clothes. She likes to dress in my shirts and doesn’t fuss over herself, so I guess I’m the girl in this mating. You know…to her credit, she has a true affinity for the simple things…like that feather. She was enthralled. It was from a red-tailed hawk, and I found it when I came back from NA one night and was out for a walk by myself. I brought it home and disinfected the tip and gave it to her. She loves things with color.

  Most romantic thing she’s ever done for you: Funny that you should ask that. The hawk feather? She took it to Fritz and with his help made a quill pen out of it for me. Tile nib is sterling silver and gold. The pen sits in a stand on my desk. I use it to sign things for my brokerage accounts and whatnot, and also to draw her, it’s probably the best thing anyone’s ever given me.

  Anything you’d change about her? No. Nothing.

  Best friend (excluding shellan): My twin, Z.

  Last time you cried: I’ll keep that private, if I may.

  Last time you laughed: Not long ago. With Cormia. But the context is private.

  J.R.’s Interview with Phury:

  After my noninterview with V, I head up
to the kitchen and hand over my mug and napkin, along with my compliments, to Fritz and his staff. I’m informed that Phury has arrived and is waiting for me in the library, and I head there.

  Breaching the room’s majestic entrance, I find Z’s twin facing the stacks. He’s got on a spectacular pin-striped black suit, and the contrast of his wavy, multicolored hair with the precisely tailored dark wool is arresting. He turns as I arrive. His shirt is blush pink with white collar and cuffs, and his tie is one of those Ferragamo small prints in red and pink…birds, I believe the pattern is birds.

  Phury: (frowning) What’s wrong?

  J.R.: Oh, nothing. (Looking around deliberately to avoid his yellow eyes.) God, I love this room. All the books…

  Phury: What’s happened?

  At this point I head for one of the silk couches and sit down facing the fire. The cushions curl up around me, and the crackling of the cedar logs makes me think of winter things, like snow falling and canopy beds that are heavy with comforters and pillows.

  Phury joins me on the sofa, jogging his trousers up at the thigh before sitting down. When he crosses his legs it’s in the European fashion, knee over knee, not ankle to knee. His hands link in his lap, his massive diamond pinkie ring flashing…and making me think of V.

  Phury: Let me guess…the interview with tall, dark, and icy didn’t go very well.

  J.R.: I’m not surprised, though. (trying to shake self out of it) So tell me, how are the Chosen liking this side?

  Phury: (eyes narrowing) If you don’t want to talk about him, we won’t.

  J.R.: I appreciate the kindness, but honestly, that’s just the way it is. I’ll be fine.