Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.
A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her IAD books have been translated into 23 foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, a RWA Hall of Fame induction, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.
Cole lives in Florida with her family. Learn more about Kresley at: www.kresleycole.com & www.thearcanachronicles.com
“You're a fuckin' parasite." I could never become a vampire. Filthy leeches."Words still hurt, Chase. Besides, you should be thanking me. My advice about the Valkyrie clearly worked. And speaking of females, if I call you by one's name while my fangs are plunged deep in your neck, just run with it.”
“What'd you want to talk about?""Just to commend you on your revenge last night. It must have been fiendish. Of course, I can only imagine since there wasn't a mark on Chase this morning, only residual bliss.""He heals fast! I whaled on his face. Must've been thirty hits."Natalya's lips quirked. "You're glowing like a Lite-Brite.""Shut it, fairy.”
“She murmured, "You're unfinished.""Aye, precisely.""I need to go."When she moved to get up, he shoved her against his side and slapped her arse to keep her there. "You stay with me."She snapped, "What do you want from me, Chase?"He drew his head back in confusion. "I want everything. You're mine, Regin.”
“Lothaire briefly gazed heavenward. "Chase is clearly a reluctant sharer. Which should incite her curiosity about what's going on in his head. She's a disgustingly self-righteous Valkyrie, filled with the need to fix things, to right wrongs. If anything needed fixing ..." He waved a hand to indicate Declan from head to toe. "As wrong as he can be.”
“When Thad began nuzzling her neck, pressing his opened lips against her, she smacked him in the back of the head. "Don't go vamp on me now!""Whaa!" He shot upright, his fangs sharp. "Where am I?"She glanced at his fangs, then down. "Oh, my gods, when do you not sport wood? There are bathrooms in the back, so go burp the worm or whatever.”
“I give you a week, maybe two, before you're driven to bite someone.""I don't know how to... to bite or drink! But you could teach me.""And what could you possibly do in return?" Lothaire waved a negligent hand. "Play football for me? Break in my jeans really well?”
“You could run, and I could stay to fend them off," the vampire offered. "For some reason, I feel amazingly refreshed." He swung an amused look at Declan that made him grind his teeth. "And it seems I'm quite handy against them."----Natalya tossed away her busted TEP-C. "So, Lothaire, you're going to fight them out of the blackness of your heart?”
“Finally the vampire released him with another groan, sitting back on his haunches. "Your blood is steeped in power." Running his tongue over a fang, he said, "Among other things. I believe I might be high. But I like it.”
“Once I'm free, we're going to find out exactly how much pain you can endure while remaining conscious. I won't stop until you tell me where my ring is." He leaned in to say at his ear, "I'll be sure to make you feel your loss.”
“The largest one laughed. Until Natalya's glass shard plugged his jugular. Regin aimed and pulled the trigger. The gun kicked as bullets sprayed. It was shredding their torsos like cheese, halving their bodies. "Let's do this! Rock out with your cocks out!”
“Seconds passed, then ... La Dorada skulked into view. She was half-mummified, but sodden. Gooey.Regin let out a low whistle. "The Mummy Returns meets Dingoes Ate My Face."----La Dorada swung her head around, peering at Regin with her one eye. "Okay. That's freaky. Lookit, Gollum, if you spring me, I'll help you find your precious.”
“Wouldn't be surprising. Most immortal females behave like they're in heat."Her brows rose. "You are the one who taught me about pleasure." ... "And now in another lifetime, you ridicule me for missing it? Come on, Chase. Take me to where you live. Scared I'll find some footy pajamas? A fleshlight? I want a bath almost as much as you need to watch me take one. I get so much more talkative when I'm clean. Loreans are really fastidious, you know.”
“Tell me, if I take you to my room and put you in my bed, what do you think would happen?""I can draw you a diagram. Hint: I'm slot B, and you're tab A.”
“Apparently unaffected, she rose. "Yeah, you're probably right. I should be going." She feigned a yawn. "You've gotta head back to work and I've gotta head to jail. Big night for me. I'm planning to shiv someone for a bar of soap. --”
“He shot to his feet, faced off against her. "No more mercy for ye, Valkyrie." Holding nothing back, he launched a haymaker at her head.She ducked and laughed. "That accent you work so hard to hide is coming out! Are ye feckin' Oirish this time? Eh, boyo?" She leapt atop his desk, punting the side of his head. "Those swords are mine! Touch them, and I'll use 'em to slice off your nutsack! For a coin purse!”
“I'm told the effect is cumulative--it will continue to worsen." Though outwardly calm as he explained this, his face had paled even more. "But if you tell me about the Valkyrie's weaknesses, I'll administer the antidote.""Weaknesses? So many. Foremost, we're ... ticklish.”
“Valkyrie, I will get answers from you one way or another. Either through this painful exercise in futility, as you believe, or through a civilized conversation.""You call this civilized?" She strained against her cuffs, leaning in to whisper, "Psst, Chase. The sexual tension between us is grueling.”
“She gazed around with a bored air. "This feels just like Law and Order. But shouldn't you lawyer up before I throw the book at you? No? So what's in the IV bag?”
“Regin!" He leapt up from a bunk."Well, well, the gang's all here." Nix must've given him Regin's whereabouts. Again."I'm going to get you out of here," he said, his green eyes aglow.She snorted. "Let me know how that works out for you, Job MacBangup." Seeing Brandr here just brought her situation into stark relief. "It's curious though--you don't usually show up until it's time to bury him.”
“You see, that's the thing with you detrus," Chase began in a contemplative tone. "Your bodies are abominations. If I severed your arms--"Lothaire yawned loudly."--you'd merely regenerate from the injury. You might experience pain, but you wouldn't suffer the horror of permanent loss, not like a human."Lothaire grew increasingly bored by this. "When I get free, I believe I'll show you your spine. I'll hand it to you so casually, politely even, as if expecting you to remark upon it.”
“Straightaway, she'd called to the guard, "Oh, boys?" She'd sauntered to the glass in only her black lace bra and panties. "I need some assistance," When they slowed, agog, she'd purred, "Can one of you help me find my orgasm?”
“Yo, Dekko, who do I gotta blow around here to get a shower?”
“It felt bizarre to be ignored in general, much less by an embodiment of Aidan--who used to stare at her so hard that he'd run into trees.”
“Valkyrie, if there was ever a cradle to be robbed ... Gods, just look at him." ...... "Face it, Nat, this is one tiger who will never be jumping through your flaming hoop--”
“Face it, Nat, this is one tiger who will never be jumping through your flaming hoop--”
“Kneeling before him, Regin murmured, "Don't let that Fegley worm get to you." Still staring ahead, the kid slowed his banging. "There's a good ... male of indeterminate species.”
“Warlord, you once told me I'd always know what you're thinking. What are your thoughts now?""Partly, I'm thinking that I might shame myself in my trews, just from the feel of you next to me.”
“There's no poetry in me, Reginleit. No fine words." He stared down at her, his gaze seeming to consume her. "I come to you as a man unfinished.”
“No ale for the girl, Birgit," Aidan said to the woman. "Do we not have milk?"Regin's face heated. And all the worse, because she would dearly love some milk.”
“Regin had known the risk in coming here, but she wasn't fearful. As Lucia had also told her, "Sometimes I don't think you have the sense to be afraid when you should." Regin had interpreted that to mean, "You have no sense of fear, oh, great Reginleit.”
“His tone dripping condescension, Lothaire crooned, “Ah children, it’s not yet story time.” He closed his eyes and turned away, saying over his shoulder, “To anyone who contemplates even nearing me while I sleep: I will garrote you with your own viscera.”
“Regin:“I finally understand what a dickie-do is. Your gut does stick out more than your dickie do.”
“Aidan from the past: He took her hands in his bloodied, callused ones. “Accept me?” His eyes glowed, his lashes spiked from rain.Declan in the present: He gripped her nape. “I fuckin love you, Regin!” Rain spiked his lashes as he gazed down at her, commanding her, “Love me back!”
“You do not mind my humor?”“Not at all. I’ve not laughed like this …” His brows drew together. “I think I’ve never laughed like this.”“Usually I exasperate people. And I jest at inappropriate times. Such as during executions. Freya says ’tis my gift and my bane to frustrate others.”“I like your manner, Reginleit. Life is long without humor.”
“When she scooped up her clothes, opened his door, then snapped her fingers for a guard down the hall, Wroth watched like a bystander. “Pssst. Minion. I need these laundered. Very little starch. Don’t just stand there gawking or you’ll anger my good frenemy General Wroth. We’re like this.”He couldn’t see her but knew she was twining two fingers together.”
“And if you don’t think I can hold my own against all those eighteenth-century mortals you were out tagging, then you’re a fool, Casanova.” ... “Oh, yes, I know all about you.”He went still. “What are you talking about?”“I was alive back then. And all the Lore heard about the ruthless warlord brothers from Estonia. The general, the scholar, the enigma, and . . . the manwhore.”
“Regin hissed at him and followed Mariketa, with Carrow right behind them. As Carrow passed Bowe,she said, “Prick. You and Twice-Baked here deserve each other.”
“You'll tell me a story and I'll spare you ? You think I don't see what you're doing ? I've read Arabian Nights.""Call me Scheherazade, baby ! Actually, she's one tricksy bitch. Who, by the way, still owes me twenty gold pieces and a pound of sesame.”
“I don't have the time or patience for games. Now, tell me, why do you...glow ?""I touched a radioactive alien cock once.”
“Ara?"She jerked her face up. "Huh? Where were we?"But his expression had grown serious, the lesson forgotten. He interlaced his fingers and said, "We are bound.""Bound?"He collected a piece of rope, knotting it."Oh, you mean bound?"He gave a nod, then drew in the sand.An infinity symbol? "Clever demon, how did you know that...?"He was gazing at her with a question in his eyes."Bound forever?" And somehow she met his gaze and lied, "Yes, demon. Bound forever."As if to make her feel guiltier, he gathered her into his arms, cupping her face against his broad chest. His voice a deep rumble, he said, "Carrow is Malkom's."She wanted to sob."Yes?""Yes," she answered, wishing that it could be so simple between them. Demon meets girl. Girl might be falling for demon.”
“Darwin says people like you need to die.” (Carrow)”
“Fuckhead: The name’s MariKETA. Go to hell, The WITCH, doing a creepy spell somewhere right now.”
“I can draw you a diagram. Hint: I'm slot B, and you're tab A.”
“What is he?”“I can’t puzzle it out. He doesn’t have horns, pointed ears—or apparently a need to eat. He does have small fangs, but he also sports a tan line.”“You checked? Natalya, you durrrty bitch.”“Hey, I had to determine if he was a blood sucker or not. Now I don’t know what to think.”
“You dress her in a wet T-shirt and make her carry the bags? Damn, Cade, I like how you roll" - Rok”
“You said you'd give me half an hour!''And you said you'd satisfy me whenever I wanted it. I want it now.' He removed is jacket. 'Drop the towel.''I-I never agreed to be naked!”
“I hope they're in town. I want to face them!” Regin stood and brandished one of the two swords that she usually wore in sheaths crisscrossed on her back in addition to the dagger sheath she customarily wore on her forearm. "I'll lunch on their balls!"That was Regin’s new threat: to lunch on enemies' balls. "Reege, when you threaten males with that, I don't think it has the result you intend. They think less Lunchables, more tea bag.”
“They desecrate Riora’s sacred temple! She will be enraged.”“Oh, gods, look at the marble. We are all beyond doomed.”“Somebody put a plant in front of it!”
“He's like six hundred years younger than you are. I refuse to be the moral compass of our cell! Most weekends I have an intoxispell bong attached to my mouth like a respirator. I love scatological humor, and I list 'pranks involving nuclear waste' and 'making demons eat things' as my hobbies.”
“Nix to Regin: What about that nice leopard-shifter pack that wanted to date you? The benefits of a variety pack of males cannot be overstated.”