Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I was feeling the height of bitchiness.”

“I'm sure I look like a drowned cat.""You look fine. The wet look works for you."I scowled. "Now I know you're lying.”

“I didn't want to spoil the mood. This was probably the longest Daemon and I had ever spoken without some statement earning him the finger.”

“I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect." His eyes searched mine intently, and for a moment we stood there toe to toe. "The ones who throw their beauty around, waste what they have? Their beauty is only passing. It's just a shell hiding nothing but shadows and emptiness.”

“Dee loves it here. Before you came, she spent most of her days here."To Daemon, my arrival was the beginning of the end. The apocalypse. Kat-mageddon. "You know, I'm not going to get your sister in trouble.""We'll see.”

“You know what they say about boys next door...”

“I'm not leaving, Kitten. You're going to do this."My mouth opened as did the door behind us. Stomach dropping, I turned to see Mom standing there in all her fuzzy-bunny pajama glory. Oh, for the love of God.”

“I couldn't stop staring at his mouth when he spoke. I bet he knew how to kiss. Perfect kisses too, ones that weren't wet and gross, but the kind that curled toes.I needed to stop looking at him in general.”

“No. I do believe in them. I just think they’re absentee landlords. Right now, they’re probably hanging out somewhere in Las Vegas, screwing showgirls and cheating at poker.”

“Was your mom a gardener?' I asked innocently. 'What?' Ren’s mouth hung open slightly.'Because a face like yours belongs planted on the ground.”

“But no matter where I went, what I was running from would still be with me—Kat. She wasn’t just back in the house, in that bed. She was with me now, inside me. And there was no outrunning that.”

“Okay. He had a point but it wasn’t like I could tell him anything. I could see me now: Guess what? You ever watch Clash of the Titans or read any Greek fables? Well those gods are real and yeah, I’m sort of a descendant of them. Kind of like the stepchild no one wants to claim. Oh, and I hadn’t even been around mortals until three years ago. Can we still be friends?”

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.”

“Thanks,” I muttered and added under my breath, “Douchebag.”He laughed, deep and throaty. “Now that’s not very ladylike, Kittycat.”I whipped around. “Don’t ever call me that,” I snapped.“It’s better than calling someone a douchebag, isn’t it?” He pushed out the door. “This has been a stimulating visit. I’ll cherish it for a long time to come.”Okay. That was it. “You know, you’re right. How wrong of me to call you a douchebag. Because a douchebag is too nice of a word for you,” I said, smiling sweetly. “You’re a dickhead.”“A dickhead?” he repeated. “How charming.”I flipped him off.”

“I love your bed." I rolled onto my stomach, smiling. "I love it so much I'd marry it if I could." Seth laughed out loud. "You'd marry my bed?" "Mmm.”

“Aw, did you just fall?" "No." I rolled onto my back, wincing. "I attacked the floor.”

“I hate you and your freaky alien powers.”

“My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face.”

“—Eres perfecta para mí —susurré en mi propio idioma.”

“Podemos tener sexo. He oído que eso consume mucha energía.”

“Si alguien me hubiese dicho que algún día yo me encontraría sentada en una habitación junto con una media docena de alienígenas un sábado por la tarde, le hubiera dicho que dejara de consumir drogas.”

“Hay maneras más divertidas para… ensuciarte. No es que yo vaya a mostrarte como.”

“Hermoso rostro. Hermoso cuerpo. Horrible actitud. Era la santa trinidad de los chicos sexys.”

“—¿Hola? —dijo otra vez, colocando una mano en el marco de lapuerta mientras se inclinó hacia adelante—. ¿Eres capaz de hablar?”

“I needed to get a grip. Or a camera to memorialize this moment, because I bet I could make a money from a video of him. I could make a fortune... As long as he didn't open his mouth.”

“Oh no I know that look. What are you thinking?That this is the most ridiculous declaration of attraction I've ever heard”

“I'd always avoided confrontation in the past, but tihs guy was flipping my bitch switch like nothing else. ~Obsidian”

“He hadn’t left, and apparently, Seth was a cuddler.”

“It’s not great. What kind of connection is this? A one-way hotline to Pervyville?” I took a step forward, on a roll now. “It’s disgusting. Freaky—stop laughing, Seth!”

“He clapped his hands together, letting out a rather high-pitched squeal before grabbing my hand. “Oh, we are going to have so much fun! Aren’t we? Fun, Alex—we will have fun.”

“I guess there were two types of people in the world, those who sat around a fire, staring into the flames, and those who started the fire. Seth and I started the fire, and then we danced around it.”

“There’s nothing like a bunch of catty teenagers who could either kick your ass halfway across the country or set you on fire with a mere thought. That alone changed who people picked fights with or became friends with. And at the end of the day, it was always good to have a firestarter in your back pocket.”

“You'll become the center of someone's world one day. And he'll be the luckiest son of a bitch on this earth.”

“The day my internet was hooked up was better than having a hot guy check out my butt and ask for my phone number.”

“You look like you're twelve. No. Maybe thirteen, but my sister has this doll that kinda reminds me of you. All big-eyed and vacant.”

“No one is like you, Alex."I grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment.""It is." He nudged me again, and my grin gew into another ludicrous smile- the kind Caleb gave Olivia when they weren't tearing each other's heads off. "You're incredibly intelligent, Alex. Funny and...""Pretty?""No, not pretty.""Cute?""No."I frowned. "Well, then."Aiden's laugh sent shivers through me. "I was going to say 'stunning.' You're stunningly beautiful.”

“So...uh, you're a Team Edward kind of guy?'He snorted. 'No. I'm Team James or Team Tyler's Van, but apparently neither of them won by the look of it. She's still alive.”

“—Tú… ¿llegaste a encontrar la paz?Pasó sus dedos por la curva de mi mejilla. Fue un gesto tan rápido que supeque Caleb no lo había visto.—Sí, ahora sí.”

“Uff. Este era uno de esos momentos realmente maduros y raros en mi vida.Mierda. ¿Dónde estaba Aiden para ver esto?”

“Yo no puedo ser la razón por la que pierdas todo.”

“¿Verte perder todo lo que te hacer ser tú? No podría soportarlo. No podría vivir viéndotecomo al resto de los sirvientes. Tienes demasiada vida para eso, demasiada vidaque perder por mí.”

“—Los puros lo hacen, lo hacen siempre y no les pillan.—Sé que hay algunos pura-sangre que rompen las reglas, pero lo hacen porqueno les importa lo que le ocurra a la otra persona, y a mí me importa lo que tepase a ti —sus ojos buscaron los míos con intensidad—. Me preocupo por ti másde lo que debería, y por eso no voy a ponerte en esa situación y poner en peligrotu futuro.”

“—No quiero saber sobre el amor.—Pero deberías, hija mía. Tienes que saber sobre el amor. Las cosas que la genteharía por amor. Todas las verdades se acaban reduciendo al amor ¿verdad? De unaforma u otra lo hacen. Sabes, hay una diferencia entre amor y necesidad. A veces, loque sientes es inmediato y sin ton ni son —se sentó un poco más recta—. Dos personasse miran desde el otro lado de una habitación o se rozan la piel. Sus almas reconocen aesa persona como suya. No hace falta tiempo para adivinarlo. El alma siempre sabe…si está bien o mal.”

“What can I say? I cleaned up nicely”

“I don't think he meant to kiss me," I said finally."What? Did he slip and fall on your mouth? Those things are known to happen.”

“What?" he demanded. "Did you just...clean a dish?" Dee backed away slowly, blinking. She glanced at Daemon. "The world is going to end. And I’m still a vir—" "No!" both the brothers yelled in unison. Daemon looked like he was actually going to vomit. "Jesus, don’t ever finish that statement. Actually, don’t ever change that. Thank you." Her mouth dropped open."You expect me to never have—" "This isn’t a conversation I want to start my morning with." Dawson grabbed his book bag off the kitchen table. "I’m so leaving for school before this gets more detailed." "And why aren’t you dressed yet?" Dee demanded, her full attention concentrated on Daemon. "You’re going to be late." "I’m always late.""Punctuality makes perfect.”

“Batter up, mofo.”

“Dee’s hand fluttered around her as she spoke. “I was outside, and it looked as if a light show was going on in your bedroom. Daemon said you were probably mas—”And Dee also knew no boundaries. “Ah, no, please don’t finish that sentence.” He lowered his hands, eyes narrowing at his sister. “Don’t ever finish that sentence.”

“Seth glanced back over his shoulder at the door. “Alex, you’re starting to worry me. Insult me… or something.”

“Okay. I’m ready to move onto something else, like practicing with knives or defense against the dark arts. Cool things.”“Did you just quote Harry Potter?”