Excerpt from Craft by Ananda Lima, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

I remember the red light in the room. One of the red bulbs in the corner started flickering halfway through the night. I remember closing my eyes for a few seconds, spreading myself from the sway of the alcohol, inhaling and exhaling as I heard the voices: the Devil, Michael, and Angela. I can still hear the Devil, his calm radio-host voice asking someone (who had he asked?) what their story was. I remember the four of us doing shots together and laughing. Angela and Michael warmed up to the Devil. He had his ways. The four of us danced to "Tainted Love." The Devil was a great dancer, goofy in the right way. Michael somehow had the Nancy wig now. Angela was still in Diana's. They were already becoming the same person. The Devil flicked his finger, and the TV turned on to MTV. It played a new song, "Thriller," though it wouldn't come out until 1982.

"The future is here," the Devil toasted.

"It's not even the future," I replied.

Angela and Michael stepped farther away, to give us some space, or maybe have each other for themselves. I put the Devil's orange wig back on him. For a second, his skin seemed to glow a strange orange, like a cheap but radioactive tan. But maybe it was the neon lights, maybe I just imagined it.

"I like him," Michael mouthed at me from across the room.

Angela nodded and gave me two thumbs up.

As I adjusted the wig, I touched the Devil's skin and felt that delicious, strange heat again. It spread, running up my arm, about to reach my elbow. I had closed my eyes. He moved away from my hand, bringing me back.

We watched Angela and Michael dance. I fantasized about asking the Devil to split them up but did not say anything.

The Devil said he could, easily, if I wanted him to.

I didn't respond, some of the heat still in my fingers.

Suddenly, Angela and Michael were arguing. I only heard fragments of what they were yelling at each other. I heard Reagan's name, and "I was just saying," and "he did nominate the first woman." I don't remember who had which position. Angela stormed out.

Excerpted from Craft by Ananda Lima. Copyright © 2024 by Ananda Lima. Excerpted by permission of Tor Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.