Kim Harrison

“Quen's gaze went to Ivy and Jenks.Peeved, I crossed my legs and shook my head. "We're a team. I'm not asking them to leave so you can tell me of whatever piss-poor problem you've landed yourself in."The older elf's brow wrinkled. He took an angry breath."Look," I said, my finger jabbing out to point at him. "I don't like you. Jenks doesn't like you. And Ivy wants to eat you. Start talking.”

“I opine-I think you're a woman of your world,' he said from the far end of the couch. 'I would have a hard time seeing you pressed and powdered, dreading a life of servitude under the name of marriage. You'd die in that mold. I like you as you are, fiery and ill tempered.”

“The gentle sound of her words became the shushing of my blood in my head, and I listened, hovering on the edge of consciousness, bathed in the oblivion of whatever drug they had given me.”

“There were no more choices, no more options, no more clever ways out of a tough situation. And the rush, I realized in a brutal wash of despair, is a false god I’ve chased my entire life. One that cost me everything in the blind search for sensation. My entire existence amounted to nothing.”

“I staggered backward-her one hand gripping my shoulder, the other still holding my wrists behind her-and she followed until my back hit the wall.”

“Her fingers pressing into me grew firmer and her breath quickened. I told myself this was what I wanted. Believe it. Accepting it. –"don’t be afraid," she breathed as she held herself poised”

“The warm dampness of her breath made me shiver at the mix of the familiar and the unknown, with a soft exhalation she shifted her head and her lips found my collarbone, teasingly shy of my old scar. Tendrils pulsed in time with my heart, building on the ones before to an unseen height. ”

“Tension pulled my eyes open when her fingers traced a trail down my neck. Sensation blossomed, and I threw my head back and sucked in the air. Her arm slipped around my waist, catching me before I fell. ”

“My blood rose, mixing with my lingering fear of the unknown to drive her to a fever pitch. Her lips touched my lower neck and vertigo spun the room, burning tracings of desire to settle deep and low in me. I exhaled into the promise of more to come, calling it to me. I breathed it in like smoke, the rising passion starting a feeling of abandonment inside. I didn’t care anymore if it was right or wrong. It just was. ”

“I tried to breathe, failing. I clutched her to me, tears slipping from under my closed eyes. It was as if her soul was liquid fire and I could feel her aura, swirling about mine. She was taking my aura. But I wanted to give it to her, to cat her in a small part of me and protect her. Her needs made her so fragile. ”

“A compassion swirled form nowhere in the high I was lost in. She needed me. She needed me to accept her for what she was. And when I realized that I had it within myself to give her at least this small part of me, the last of my fear melted away. ”

“Hovering near panic, trying to focus but finding it hard to open my eyes. My heart was pounding. I couldn’t get enough air, and I couldn’t find the desire to push her away”

“Memories of ice and Trent surfaced, and I wrapped my arms around my middle. I had saved him, and he had saved me. What was wrong with us?”

“I sniffed, wiping my eyes. “Look at that,” I muttered. “The bastardmade me cry.”Jenks’ wings made a cool spot on my neck. “Want me to pixy him?”“No. But now I don’t have the chance of a ghost’s fart in a windstormto get that Pandora charm.” That’s not really what was bothering me,though. It was Trent. Why did I even care what he thought?”

“Having been a demon curse, however brief, should leave a mark. A streak of silver hair, or bewitching eyes. Maybe crows on one's roof or a hound from hell at your heel. Blowing out my breath I stood and squinted at my reflection. A black eye. Swell.”

“I'm only going to be here for a time, then leave you." His gaze met mine. "And I will cry when I go, because I could love you forever.”

“Go to sleep, baby, Mama will sing. Of blue butterflies, and dragonfly wings. Moonlight and sunbeams, raiment so fine. Silver and gold, for baby of mine. Go to sleep, baby. Sister will tell, of wolves and of lambs, and demons who fell.”

“By Tink's diaphram...!”

“Tears could not be equal, if I wept diamonds from the skies.Jenks (Black Magic Sanction)”

“I'll wait for you under the bluebells. I'll be there always.”

“Making a spell is easy. It's trusting you did it right that's hard.”

“Puppy presents on the rug. This sucked.”

“A slow smile curved over my face, and I leaned down over him. "No," I said. "Wishes are lies. Tell me you're going to leave. Tell me you're not going to stay. Tell me that it's only for a while so I can enjoy today," I whispered in his ear, as if saying it louder would break me. "And when you go, don't think me cold when I don't cry. I can't cry anymore, Pierce. It hurts too much.”

“The car picked up speed, and the sound seemed to lull me.I could relax, I thought as I felt the tingling of circulation in my limbs. I was in Trent’s car, wrapped in a blanket, and held in his arms. He wouldn’t let anything hurt me.He wasn’t singing, though,I mused.Shouldn’t he be singing?”

“But he's Rachel Candy!"-Both Jenks and Al”

“Rachel, what do you do? Put an ad in the paper for trouble?(Glenn)”

“The quickest way to a woman's crotch is through her gullet. Can I make you a cake?" Big Al to Pierce, then Rachel.”

“She was getting bitchy.That was a good sign. "What am I supposed to do till you get back?" I said, patting the smouldering leather. "Hide in my closet? I"d rather be with you.”

“I told you, computers are like women. If you shout at them or ask them to do too many things at once, they shut down and you won't even get a sniff”

“Tink's a Disneyland whore!"-Jenks”

“Good God, Rachel, cant you go five minutes... sweet sticky hell on a stick!' the demon exclaimed, his thoughts reeling from anger to concern as he realized I was hopped up on something.”

“He's going to hurt you," Al said, looking at Pierce. "I can take care of you, teach you to survive. Be there for you, even if you do hate me."I shivered. "I don't want him," I said, and Al turned away, seeming smaller somehow.”

“Sweet mother of chaos," he breathed. "Rachel, you are indeed one of us. Have your time in the sun. You're worth the extra wait.”

“No, you just keep crashing my life. Look—" I said, and Al grunted."Here it comes," the demon muttered. "Listen. Listen to this, runt. She's going to have a list.”

“I cannot stay," he lied for me, eyes averted. "I'm only going to be here for a time, then leave you." His gaze met mine. "And I will cry when I go, because I could love you forever.”

“As the joke goes, you don’t have to be faster than the wolf chasing you, just faster than everyone else running away.”

“And what’s important to you?” I asked.Marshal thought while we maneuvered around Darth Vader, who was struggling to keep from hitting the wall with his helmet blocking his vision. “Success at work. Having fun doing it. Caring for someone and supporting their interests because you like to see them happy. Having them care about and support yours simply because they want to see you happy.”

“Tink's Panties!”

“I was cold, hungry, and in a hole in the ground. But at least I had my elven porn, damnit!”

“She reeked of tenure”

“That's why I want you there, he said. You're unpredictable, and that can be the difference between success and failure. Most people make decisions in anger, fear, love, or obligation. You make decisions to irritate people.”

“Hey, ah, does anyone want a cookie or something? Oh yeah. A cookie. That would make everything better. Dunked in a shot of tequila , maybe? Or better yet, just the bottle? Yeah, that ought to do it.”

“What are you?" I rasped.It smiled. "Whatever scares you.”