Michelle Rowen

“You're our honorary sixth member with mysterious abilities and visions of the future. The Snow White to our motley group of dwarfs. Plus, you're way better looking than the rest of these guys.”

“Does it have a name? All of these fancy magical weapons usually have names."Bishop glared at her. "Yeah. I like to call it Goldie.""You're funny for an angel.""Not really. I'm just inspired at the moment.”

“Happiness, wealth, true love. Just like everybody else.""That's all?""What else is there that matters?"He shrugged a shoulder. "Destruction, vengeance, power, world domination."Her smile stretched but it didn't reach her eyes. "Those are fun too.”

“I try to be confident, always have, but despite my best efforts, sometimes I come off like I'm a total...""Dick?" I finished for him. "I'm just randomly picking words out of the air. Tell me if you think I'm close.”

“Work that mojo, gray girl. Consider me a true believer now. Hallelujah.”

“It's - just Bishop.""You have only one name?" Unless he was a rock star or a chess piece, it was another sign that he was having trouble thinking straight.”

“Sorry," I said."Don't be sorry." She sent a sneer in the direction of Colin who'd rejoined his friends on the other side of the theatre. "The fact he's still breathing isn't your fault.”

“Don't be sorry.' His eyes remained serious. 'Believe me, Samantha, that kiss - it was enough to something very important to me.''What?''That I'd do anything to find a way to kiss you again.”

“Need some help?' he asked.'Yes!' I yelled at him 'Help us!''What's the magic word?''Now!''Close enough.”

“I took it back: he didn't just hate himself down deep. He'd made plenty of room in there for me, too.”

“I wanted this to be a movie on TV so I could press the off button and make it all go away.”

“A sob caught in my chest. I didn't even know what a gray was, other than a drab color. All I knew was that I was hungry all the time. And I knew, deep down, that it wasn't just for food.”

“Two of us could play the lying game.”

“Are you following me?" He asked."Us?" I was the first to speak. "Um, maybe. Hi there. How are you tonight?"He looked at me like I might be a bit crazy.”

“Bishop's brows went up. "Okay, fine. Yes, I followed you here. Better?""Yes. Stalkery, but better.""I'm not stalking you.""Spoken like a true stalker."-- Bishop and Samantha, page 79”

“George walked into the room and looked at each of us in turn, ending with Thierry. "Hey, boss," he said as he lit a cigarette and exhaled the smoke out slowly, "did Sarah really call you an asshole before"?"George!" I moaned. "Now? You habe to bring that up now?""Is this a bad time?" He didn't wait for an answer, or for the matter, a response to his first question. " I just figured that since I haven't heard any shooting in here, this might be a good time for me to take off.”

“Where's Kraven? Is he stalking me too?"His mouth went tight. "I'm not stalking you.”

“Did you follow me here?""Something like that."I let out a frustrated groan. "Can't anyone just talk to me straight? Why is everyone avoiding my damn questions tonight?"Bishop's brows went up. "Okay, fine. Yes, I followed you here. Better?""Yes. Stalkery, but better.""I'm not stalking you.""Spoken like a true stalker”

“There's something special about her. When she helped me with her touch-""Exactly what was she touching that was so memorable for you?""Watch your mouth.”

“But I'd done what I could to warm the place up. I'd started with a welcome mat. It had a happy face on it and was bright and colorful. It didn't say "Welcome." It said "!!!WELCOME!!!"I knew he wouldn't like it. I considered it more of an amusing test to see how open he was to change. He'd let me move in with him, but how flexible was he really willing to be?It disappeared the day after I placed it by the front door. It was just--poof!--gone. When I imagined the shocked look on his face when he would have first seen it, a spot of wacky and whimsical color in his otherwise monochromatic world, I started to laugh hysterically.”

“You have a very prickly exterior that needs to be navigated very carefully. Kind of like a really sexy cactus.”

“Well...unfortunately there's a little problem," he said."What?"He pointed up. "That."I looked up to see the mistletoe dangling from the ceiling where I'd hung it three hours before."Okay, but what does that-?"Rhys kissed me. "I really, really, didn't want to like that," he said."Rhys-" But before I could say anything else, he kissed me again and pulled me closer.”

“I'm not going to marry you.""I'm not asking you to.""Good."He eyed me. "And you can wipe that horrified look off your face because it's obviously not true.”

“No. As a matter of fact, the dragon oracle tells me the girl I'm supposed to marry, the one destined to someday become the queen of the faery realm, isn't a faery at all.""She isn't?" I said. "Then who is she?""You," he said.”

“I don't know what his problem is," I said as Michael and I left the school. "Why would he tell me to be careful if he hates my guts?" "Because he doesn't hate your guts. I think he likes you." Michael was walking so fast I had to jog to keep up with him. "Isn't it obvious?”

“Except...except for this demon thing. I couldn't control it. And now I can't change back. Of course I was able to scare Chris off. I scared him by how ugly I am."He shook his head. "Princess, there's nothing ugly about you.”

“I'm a half-demon princess. Sure. What's so hard to grasp about that?”

“I think I know who you are," he finally said. "It took me a minute, since you're better looking than I thought you'd be, but I think I've got it.”

“I stared blankly at Rhys for what felt like about three days.“Me?” I finally sputtered.He nodded.“You’re kidding, right?”“Not kidding.”I laughed then, and it sounded slightly hysterical. “I’m notgoing to marry you.”“I’m not asking you to.”“Good.”He eyed me. “And you can wipe that horrified look off yourface because it’s obviously not true.”“Do I look horrified?”“Yes, you do.”I grimaced. “Nothing personal, Rhys, but—”He held up a hand. “Say nothing else. I shouldn’t have evenmentioned it to you. I’ll find another dragon to help me.”“Second opinions are really important,” I said.He just glowered at that.We rode the rest of the way back to Erin Heights in silence.Now I had even more information crowding my already full brain.Maybe that Irena chick should go see a shrink, herself. She wasone crazy dragon lady.”

“Is your future faery bride too ugly for you?”Rhys leaned back against the head rest and studied the seatback in front of him. “That’s not it.”“Too old or too young?”“No.”I rolled my eyes, but smiled. This was why he was upset. Hehadn’t landed the perfect bride-to-be. “Her pretty faery wingsaren’t the right shade of sparkly lavender and pink?”His eyes flashed with anger. “Actually, she doesn’t have faerywings.”“She doesn’t?”“No. As a matter of fact, the dragon oracle tells me the girl I’msupposed to marry, the one destined to someday become the queenof the faery realm, isn’t a faery at all.”Okay, that was surprising. Not a faery?“She isn’t?” I said. “Then who is she?”His expression was severe as he turned to look me right in theeye.“You,” he said”

“Come on, Eden, don't be naive. Demonic children are a dime a dozen in Netherworld. Need I mention Children of the Corn? Damien? Justine Bieber?”

“There’s nothing to fear but fear itself”

“I don't think he can hurt. Wizards and witches go hand in hand, after all. Didn't you read Harry Potter?" Eden stared at him. "Well, yeah." "I didn't read the books," he continued. "But I did get to see the movies. A previous host was a fan. He even wore dress robes and pretended he'd been sorted into a house. Hufflepuff, if you can believe it. Who liked Hufflepuff best? I mean, seriously.”

“Good. I wouldn't want you to fall madly in love with me. That would make things very complicated when it comes to your beloved Shadow, wouldn't it? Who'd win the battle for your heart then? The servant or the king?”

“I really hate you sometimes.""There's a fine line between love and hate."I glared at him. "Dream on.”

“You dare speak to me in such an insolent manner?''Stop talking like you’re two hundred years old. You’re sixteen, just like me.”

“Bite me, Rhys.''Where?”

“Je coulais un regard à George à moitié nu avec sa serviette de toilette puis à Barckley complètement nu avec son... Rien. Un vampire et un loup-garou. Je secouai la tête. C'était pourtant évident:j'avais encore fait l'un de ses rêves où j'étais Anita Blake”

“I had lied so much lately that I was honestly surprised my pants weren't literally made of fire.”

“A line of perspiration slipped down my spine like a waterslide at an unamusement park.”

“My recommendation is to keep up the good work. I’m changing your title to senior executive assistant, and giving you a three percent raise effective next payday. Congratulations.”Wow, three percent. I could move up that early retirement plan to age seventy-five now, instead of eighty. Lucky me.Thank you,” I said. “That’s very generous.”You’re quite welcome.” Ms. Saunders nodded and grabbed a gold-plated letter opener to begin attacking her stack of mail.I turned to leave. Didn’t want to outstay my welcome.Damn it!” she exclaimed, and I turned back around. She winced and nodded at the letter opener that she’d dropped to her desktop. “Damn thing slipped. I’m probably going to need stitches now. Can you be a dear and fetch the first-aid kit for me?”She held her left index finger and frowned at the steady flow of blood oozing out. A few small drops of red splashed onto the other letters spread out on the desk.I felt woozy. And suddenly dizzy.I blinked.When I opened my eyes, I was no longer standing by the door about to leave. I was crouched down next to Ms. Saunders’s imported black leather chair, grasping her wrist tightly…… and sucking noisily on her fingertip.I shrieked and let go of her, staggering backward. I grabbed at her desk to keep from falling, but I dropped on my butt, anyhow, taking most of the contents of the top of her desk with me.She held her injured finger far away from her and stared at me, wide-eyed, with a mixture of shock and disgust.I scrambled to my feet and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.What in the holy hell just happened? I… I… uh… I’m so sorry,” I managed. “I don’t know what… I wouldn’t normally do something… I just…”Ms. Saunders pulled her hand close to her chest, perhaps to protect it from further abuse.Get out,” she said quietly.Yeah, I’ll get back to work. Again, I’m so, so sorry. Would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee?”No, not to your desk,” she said evenly, but her volume increased with every word. “Get out of here, you freak. I don’t care what you’ve heard, I’m not into women. You’re fired. Now get out of here before I call security.”But… my job review—”Get out!” she yelled.”

“Why were you running?” Gordon looked confused. “I wasn’t going to hurt you.”Bite me,” I told him. He was so going to get charged with assault. I might even have to put a restraining order on his sorry ass. “Oh, wait a minute, you already did bite me, didn’t you… you psycho!”He rolled his eyes. “You’re really going to have to get over that if this relationship is going to have half a chance.”

“You bit me on the neck? What kind of a sorry-ass vampire wannabe are you, anyhow?”I grabbed for my dirt-covered purse that lay by my feet. I kept a can of pepper spray in it for protection, or at least I used to. Did I still have it? Did those things have an expiration date? Didn’t matter. If I had to, I’d just use it to bash him over the head.I’m not a wannabe.” He actually had the audacity to look insulted. “I am a vampire.”Psycho, I thought. Total psycho.”

“Look at you, all Rocky Horror Picture Ho.”

“Come on Eden. Turn that frown upside down. There's no reason for bad moods. It's a beautiful new day full of possibilities.""maybe for you.”

“Just to make things perfectly clear between us, you can have my peanut butter, but my bed is off-limits.”

“Don't you have any clothes?""Quite honestly, no I don't." "Cover yourself up!" "Fine." There was a rustling sound. "Okay I'm covered. I had no idea you were such a prude.”

“Darrak"- she let out a shuddery breath-"I need my privacy.""That's going to be difficult. For obvious reasons”

“I'm feeling better now," Darrak said. She stifled a scream and clamped her hands over her bare breasts. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" "Did I interrupt something?" There was a short pause. "Oh, I see. Don't let me stop you from getting naked. Please, continue."Eden scanned her reflection with wide eyes. Could she see the demon inside of her? Did she look possessed?" Nope. There was nothing noticeable. Other than the deep voice in her head only she could hear."This should be interesting." Darrak sounded amused. "As I said before, I've never shared living space with a woman before. I honestly never would have guessed black lace panties for you. But I do approve.”

“I glanced at George half naked in his towel, then at Barkley, completely naked in his . . . nothing. A vampire and a werewolf. I shook my head. It was obvious. I was having one of my Anita Blake dreams again. ”