Book excerpt: Love is not patient, and it is not kind. It is envious, boastful, and proud. It dishonors others, and is self-seeking. It is easily angered, and keeps record of all wrongs. It delights in evil and recoils from the truth. It never protects, never trusts, never hopes, and, most importantly, it never perseveres. Love always fails. These are lessons Derek Diver has yet to comprehend, but the time of his enlightenment is approaching. His lesson will be steeped in blood, and he will learn that love is the most violent force on Earth.