Lesley Livingston

“That doesn’'t happeneverytime you kiss someone, does it? ”" Maddox said to Chloe, gasping through the pain of his double injuries.”

“I thought you said you dislocated Selene’'s shoulder!”" Sonny called to Cait, who’'d tumbled for safety into the black water behind the stern of the boat.“"I did! I guess someone elserelocated it!”" she shouted back.”

“Evil really needs to step up its game.”

“She drew herself up and took in a breath, concentrating on her inflection so that she could indulge him in his game. Then she leaned forward and, in her best, most sincerely love-struck voice, breathed, "I love thee." Sonny's face was just inches from hers. His storm-gray eyes flashed, and the dark silk of his hair drifted across his cheek as he leaned in his head. "Perfect." So was the kiss. Perfect. "I love thee," Sonny murmured, all pretense gone.”

“He whispered, "My Firecracker...”

“Toda historia tiene dos caras. Si interpretas el papel del "malo", nunca piensas en ti mismo como si fueras malo. Lo que ocurre es que los demás... a menudo no comprenden tus razones.”

“Muy bien. Veamos adónde nos lleva esto.”

“Estamos hechos de la misma materia que los sueños.”

“Don't ever say that, Fennrys," she said. "I don't ever want to hear you say that you don't deserve or you aren't worthy. You do. You are.”

“Death holds no fear for me. I shall conquer it as I conquer all things.”

“why is there blue stuff on your face?i was partying with the smurfs. i wanted to fit in.”

“It's all tied up with what's inside you. Head and heart, mind andsoul. Who you are and what you want-that's what fuels it. That's whatshapes it. ”

“You have to choose your battles. The key is choosing the ones you know you can win.”

“If you killl yourself, Comorra, it will wreck him. Utterly. Believe me on this one. So there you go - there's another casualty of war. And sure, in the grand scheme of things, whoop-dee-doo, who gives a crap about some dude's broken heart. But what about the not-so-grand scheme? Doesn't love count for something? Do you think all this...this carnage would have happened if the Romans hadn't taken Prasutagus away from your mother? If she hadn't been so blinded by grief maybe she would have found a way to work things out with the governor instead of goading him to war." Clare shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe two people alone in the darkness can't generate enough light to drive it back. But maybe they can be a beacon for others. A candle in the window at midnight, you know? I mean, they can at least be there for each other, right?”

“I'm not sure if you just screwed with history or if history just screwed with you.”

“Magick Time.”

“Yes. And also, if it's okay by you, I'd like to shut up now... Or possibly just go somewhere and swallow my face.”

“The Janus Guard will also be out that night,” he said, one hand reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “Just as we have been and will be for every night of the Nine.”“Good.”“Speaking of which—Kelley…” Sonny seemed suddenly exhausted. He turned his face to the west, and she could see the fatigue etched into the lines and planes of his face. “It’s getting late. You need to leave the park. Please. Don’t argue with me this time. Just go. The sun will set soon, and I have to go to work.”He squared his shoulders as though he expected her to put up a fight. She did—a little—but only out of actual concern for him. “Shouldn’t you be taking it easy? I mean, you try to hide it with the whole tough-guy-swagger thing and all, but I saw the bandages. You’re really hurt. Aren’t you?”“It’s not so bad.”“Wow. You are a terrible liar.”He frowned fiercely at her.“You also look like you haven’t slept in a week.” She took a tentative step toward him and put a hand on his chest, looking up into his silver-gray eyes. He put his hand over the top of hers, and she could feel the rhythm of his heart beating under her palm, through his shirt and the bandages.“I’m fine.”“Are you sure?”With his other hand, Sonny reached up and brushed a stray auburn curl out of her eyes.“I’m sure.”He smiled down at her, and she felt her insides melt a little. His whole face changed when he smiled. It was like the sun coming out.“But,” he continued, “I’ll be even better if you are safe at home and I don’t have to worry about you for tonight.”“I can take care of myself, Sonny Flannery,” she bristled, halfheartedly.“Please?” He turned up the wattage on his smile.“I…okay.” She felt her own lips turn up in a shy, answering smile. “I’ll be good. This once.”“That’s my girl.”Kelley was silent. Those three words of Sonny’s had managed to render her utterly speechless.”

“Great, Kelly thought, a knot of fear tightening her stomach. A mugger with a taste for Shakespeare. This could only happen in Cental Park.”

“Well. I think it's safe to say that, in my absence, the power grabbing and backstabbing and political intrigue has officially reached an all-time Otherworld high. ”

“She felt his arms tighten around her, as they spiraled up, borne aloft on wings that were dark as the night, bright as a new star.”

“Kelley. Your name is Kelley, isn't it?" He didn't wait for her confirmation. "Yes. Well. Tell me...that bit just now...was that from Dante's Inferno?"Uh...no," Kelley stammered. Her face felt hot.Really?"I'm in for it.Are you sure?" he continued. "Because it most certainly wasn't from this play. And it bloody well sounded like hell.”

“There's one thing I've learned about mortals. They're a lot more resilient and a whole bunch more resourceful than they usually give themselves credit for. Why else do you think the Fae have always had such a fascination with them? Why d'you think Auberon uses changelings to guard the Gate? Trolls are stronger, cheaper, more plentiful, and nobody cares if they get exploded or ripped to pieces. But he uses mortals. Because they're full of hidden strengths.”

“There are always two sides to every story, Kelley. Something I learned playing Richard the Third and Macbeth: if you're playing the 'bad guy', you never really think of yourself as bad. It's just that your motives are often...misunderstood by everyone else.”

“Some things you just have to take on faith and believe in at the risk of getting hurt. It's one of the things that the Fair Folk will never understand, and it's something that sets us apart from them. The fact that each and every time we believe in each other we take a risk. Because we know that it might NOT be the truth. But we also know that it MIGHT be.”

“It might not have been the destiny you would have asked for, Fennrys," she said quietly. "But I'm starting to think that the only destiny there is...is the one we make for ourselves.”

“You can't choose someone else's destiny for them, Kelley. And you shouldn't let anyone choose yours.”

“Then she began to mutter to herself and gesture to the empty air.oh. Sonny sighed. Just another central park crazy.”

“Believe me, Kelley. If I’m not…it’s because I’m already dead.” He stroked her hair, and she could feel his breath warm on her forehead, like a kiss. “Because anyone that would seek to hurt you would have to kill me first.”

“Do you stop caring about someone you love - just because they don't feel the same way?”

“sonny had circled three words in gold ink: i love thee.”

“Kelley-"You know that story ends horribly, right?"Sonny-"What did Shakepeare know? He probably would have rewritten that bit if he'd thought about it.”

“What about the whiskey?" Jack said as they ran. "Won't it keep them out?"The Green Maidens don't drink anything but blood." Bob's disembodied voice floated after them. "The whiskey magick won't affect them."Wonderful," the old actor muttered, a tremor of fear in his voice. "I should've poured a Bloody Mary.”

“What did the Faerie that attacked you look like?""Super creepy. Ripped jeans, weird tattoos, bad hair. And, come to think of it, really nice boots...""Where?""On his feet."Sonny winced and rubbed his temples. "Where were you attacked, Kelley?""Okay, see...that was a joke.”

“Sonny pulled Lucky up short and swung around to face Fennrys. "I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to die surprised. And I swear to all the gods, if the last thought that goes through my mind is 'What the hell was that?' I will hunt you down in the afterlife and punch you in the face throughout eternity.”

“You're joking. You want to help me?""We're brothers-in-arms, Sonny." Fennrys stood and paced restlessly. "And, truth is, I'm bored out of my mind in Manhattan. Nothing to do there but jump at shadows and put up with Aaneel's pompous yapping: 'There're crack in the Gate! Remain vigilant! Protect the puny humans! Eek, a mouse!' It's tiresome.”

“You killed a tree?""It tried to kill me first.""Perhaps you should tell me exactly what happened to you, Princess.”

“Lucky!" she shouted. The creature pulled up and pranced excitedly before her, front hooves pawing at the ground. Laughing with happiness, Kelley flung her arms around the kelpie and buried her face in his mane. Lucky nuzzled her shoulder and head-butted at her in delight.Besides Sonny, Fennrys gestured with his good arm. "Isn't that...?""The Roan Horse, Harbinger of the Wild Hunt and Fearsome Bringer of Doom. Yeah" Sonny nodded. "Used to be.""Thought so." Lucky kicked up his back hooves like a frolicking colt, and Fennrys snorted is disgust. "Evil really needs to step up its game.”

“A conversation with Mabh was like playing tag with a grizzly bear.”

“He can't die! He's the bloody King of Winter.""Don't be absurd," said Bob, rolling an eye at the wounded Janus. "Just because he's immortal doesn't mean he can't die!”