Kady Cross

“It would take little effort for her to hurt him right now. She could hurt him badly.But Griffin King could hurt her, as well, and he hadn’t. Instead of using force or violence against her, he used patience and understanding. She had no defense against that.When he let her go, she was shaking. Tears filled her eyes as she turned to her mother who stood staring at her in horror.“My sweet little girl,” her mother whispered. “I didn’t know. I would never…” Her words faded into a choked sob. Finley crossed the short distance between them on quivering legs and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman. She didn’t care if Griffin or his nasty aunt saw her tears. If anything was worth crying over, the discovery that her father had made her a monster had to be one.”

“As they walked, the subtle lamplight of a dirigible washed over them. Finley glanced up, watching the light grow closer, slowly descending from the sky in a whirl of propellers as the ship made its way into the London air dock just a few miles away. How amazing it must be to float so high, to travel so quickly.Dandy followed her gaze, but they didn’t stop walking. “I was up in one of them flyers once,” he told her. “I climbed over the rail and hung on to one of the ropes. Freeing it was. I almost let go.”She whipped her head around to gape at him. “The fall would kill you.”He smiled ever so slightly. “Not afore I flew. Worse ways to go.”

“Slowly, Finley rose from the sofa, tilted her head back and looked him dead in the eye. “I have no desire to be any more in your debt than I already am.”He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Would it make you more comfortable if I demanded something in return? Would that put you at ease?”When he put it like that, it made her sound like an awful sort of person for thinking the worst. “It would, yes. At least that would be honest.”It might have been laughter that came scoffing from his throat, but there was little humor in it. He shook his head, the light reflecting glints of russet in his hair. “I’d like to meet whomever it was who made you so distrusting and pull his teeth out one by one.”The vehemence in his tone startled her, yet was strangely warming. “’Twas more than just one.”His face darkened, like clouds overtaking the sun. Suddenly, this was no longer just some seemingly kind, bored aristocrat standing before her, but a young man capable of many dangerous things.”

“Who do you think keeps this country safe so you can sleep at night?”“I don’t sleep most nights. And to be honest, Your Grace, I don’t feel all that safe.”

“What I have is hardly a talent,” she replied. A curse, perhaps. More than likely a demon. What she needed was a good exorcism.”

“Finley’s head jerked up. Griffin King. The Duke of Greythorne. She had overheard Lady Alyss discussing him with several of her friends just last week. They said he was handsome, rich beyond understanding and had a nice bottom.”

“She didn’t want to believe the pretty gentleman capable of such violence, but she had learned the hard way that pretty gentlemen were often the worst of the lot.”

“As frightening as we may think her, I believe she finds herself even more so.”

“The girl stood in the center of the large four-poster bed. She wore a nightgown and robe that Cordelia had generously, and unknowingly, donated. Anything of Emily’s would have been far too short and too small. Her honey-colored hair fell over her shoulders in messy waves and her similarly colored eyes were almost black with wildness, her pupils unnaturally dilated.Fear. He felt it roll off her in great waves. It shimmered around her in a rich red aura Griff knew he alone could see, as it was viewable only on the Aetheric plane. She was afraid of them and, like a trapped animal, her answer to fear was to fight rather than flee. Interesting.She was certainly a sight to behold. Normally she was probably quite pretty, but right now she was…she was…She was bloody magnificent. That’s what she was. Except for the blood, of course.”

“Finley hesitated. Maybe he’d move out of her way and let her pass.Or a voice in her head whispered—her voice—you could kick his teeth in.”

“This is delicious,” she said, when she finally recovered enough to speak. Jack was watching her in a curious manner. “You could have ’em every morning if you want.”

“Don't mistake me, Treasure. I can offer you many things, but friendship ain't one of them. Now, for once in your life, be a sensible girl and run away.”

“You're the very spawn of Satan and I'll not have you darken this door ever again.”

“What's the matter with her? [Jasper] asked Griffin.Griffin shook his head. 'Nothing. She's just two personas struggling for dominance in one body.'[Jasper] ... Poor little thing.”

“You aligned yourself with the wron fella and there were consequences. Now you can wallow in it, or you can pull that thick head of yours out of your posterior and help us figure out how to fix things.”

“I like a little fight in my girls."She grinned at him,causing blood to dribble down her chin."Then you're going to love me.”