Rachel Caine

“Jason talking about Michael - "Don't do me any favors, Glass Ass," Jason snapped.”

“Shane talking to Claire - "In this whole screwed up town, you're the only thing that's always been right to me," He whispered. "I love you, Claire”

“Sam talking to a frat boy - "You. O Positive. How many exits?" "What?....Oh shit, did you just call me by my blood type?”

“Shane talking to Claire - "Hang on - Slow down. I'm not going anywhere. You know that, right? You don't have to put out to keep me here. Well, as long as you eventually...""Shut up" Claire said.”

“Your father's an asshole. It's not a disease. You don't have to catch it.”

“Hell,' Shane spit in disgust. 'I can't hit a girl. Here, Claire. You hit her.' He tossed her the bat.”

“Did that remind anybody else of something?""Yes," Eve said, tapping her lower lip with a bloodred fingernail. "How much I need to shave her head while she's sleeping.”

“Really? Is he running for Worst Boyfriend Ever?""In the subcategory of Completely Awesome.”

“Even in an apocalypse like this, surely running out of Cokequalified as a disaster.”

“Hey, if you don't want to tell me, don't. But I can tell when you lie."Ok, that was super creepy. "You can?"He smiled grimly down at the dirty dishwater. "Nope. But see? You fell for it anyway. Careful, or I'll read your mind with my incredible vampire superpowers.”

“I'm worried he's going to...do something crazy.""He lives in a hole in the ground, dresses funny and occasionally eats his assistants," Eve said. "Define crazy."Claire closed her eyes. "Okay. I think he wants to put my brain in a jar and wire it into the machine."Dead silence.”

“She wanted to lunge over and kiss him. Well, ew, not really, maybe a hug. Or a hanshake.Claire about Oliver”

“Shane? Thank God, somebody sane. Well, sane-ish.”

“Myrnin came in from the back room, carrying a load of books, which he dropped with aloud bang on the floor to glare at the two of them. "Excuse me," he said, "but when did my labbecome appropriate for snogging?""What's snogging?" Shane asked."Ridiculous displays of inappropriate affection in front of me. Roughly translated. Andwhat are you doing here?”

“I love arguing with you, Claire. You always surprise me. And occasionally, you even make sense.”

“Nothing?Micheal!You're 'playing'!.IN PUBLIC?'That's new?' Claire whisperd to shhane'He hasn't played anywhere but our living room since-Teeth-in-neck mime 'You know Oliver''Oh.'micheal's face was turning pink.'just put it back,OK?It's no big deal!Eve kissed him.”

“Crap, are you thinking what I'm thinking?""I'm thinking we have about fifteen vampires and no blood," Claire said. "Is that it?""No, I was thinking we're out of chips. Of course that's what I was thinking.”

“That's brain tissue. How can you-?" Claire shut her mouth, fast. "Never mind. I don't think I wanna know.""Truly, I think that's best. Please take it." He showed his teeth briefly in a very unsettling grin. "I'm giving you a piece of my mind.""I so wish you hadn't said that.”

“I'm gonna kill him," Eve said, or at least that was what it sounded like filtered through the pillow.Stake him right in the heart, shove garlic up his ass, and-and-"And what?" (Michael)When did you get home?" Claire demanded.Apparently just in time to hear my funeral plans. I especially like the garlic up the ass. It's...different.”

“Maybe I should, I don't know leave? Because this is starting to sound like one of those reality shows I don't want to be in. Maybe you guys want to take turns in the confessional booth.”

“Jealous?""Maybe.""No reason. I like my ladies with a pulse.”

“I think I just became psychic," he said. "Holy crap.”

“I'm learning all the time.""Well, you're a scholar.”

“I had a good teacher.""Better not have been Myrnin or I'll have to kick his predatory ass.""I mean you, dummy.”

“Seriously, Shane? Ditto? That's the best you can do?"Shane and Michael exchanged identical looks and shrugs. Guys."Let me show you idiots how it's done," Eve said, and hugged Claire fiercely. She kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, CB. Please take care of yourself, okay?""I love you, too," Claire said, and suddenly her throat felt tight and her eyes burned with tears. "I really do."Shane and Michael watched them with identical expressions of blank bemusement, and finally Shane said, "So basically, it's what I said. Ditto.”

“Hey, Mikey? You get her hurt and I'll end you.""You let anything happen to Eve and I'll do the same," Michael said. He'd just finished kissing Eve, too. "While you're at it, don't get yourself killed, either, bro.""Ditto. And don't kiss me.”

“Bathroom, maybe? Which is where I need to go.""Ooh, me, too," Eve said. The boys rolled their eyes, like they'd planned it. "What? It's what girls do. Get over it.”

“I think I'd fall for you no matter what, Claire. You're kind of awesome.”

“Michael had to pound me a couple of times to convince me not to go stage a rescue." Shane shrugged. "He hits like a girl, for a vampire.”

“What's with the disco lights?" Michael said, rolling down the window between the driver's compartment and the back.Eve turned around, and her face brightened. "You like it? I thought it looked really cool. I saw it in a movie, you know, in a limo.""It's cool," Michael said, and smiled at her. She smiled back. "Can't wait to lie here and watch it with you."Claire said, "You don't have to wait; it's working now. Look--Oh. Never mind." She blushed, feeling stupid that she hadn't gotten that one in the first second. Eve winked at her.”

“Claire - "Go ahead. And thanks. Oh, and be careful?"Eve - "Please. I am the queen of careful. Also, princess of punk fabulousness.”

“Shane - "Tell you what: you can be Glammera the vampire hunter. I'll stick with being manly andheavily armed.”

“Oh, come on, just this once," Eve said. "Protects your neck. As in your arteries and veins?That's kind of crucial, right?""Thanks for the thought, but it doesn't go with my shoes.""You're seriously going to worry about what people think right now?""No, I'm worrying about people taking pictures and putting them on Facebook. That crap never dies. Kind of like you, Mikey."Michael, straight-faced, said, "He's got a point, because I would definitely take pictures. So would you."Eve had to grin. "Yeah, I would. Okay, then. But you'd look glam. I could fix you up with silver eye shadow to match.”

“Shane held the jewelry at arm's length, dangling it like a dead rat. "No way in hell am I caught dead or alive wearing that.”

“Ew.''Yeah,' Claire said. 'I need a shower.''I don't think a shower's going to cut it. Maybe fire hoses, and those brushes they use on elephants.' Eve stepped back and offered Shane a hand up as he finally got untangled.'Speaking of elephants, you sounded like a herd of something coming down the stairs,' he said. 'What the hell are your shoes made of? Hooves?”

“See?" she heard Shane yell at the kitchen. "She doesn't stomp around like a cattle stampede!""Bite me, Collins! No bacon for you, either!”

“Are you armed?" Oliver asked her.She glanced down at her backpack and instantly, instinctively held back. "No.""Lie to me again and I'll put you out on the street and do this myself."Claire swallowed. "Uh, yeah.""With what?""Silver-coated stakes, wooden stakes, a crossbow, about ten bolts . . . oh, and a squirt gun with some silver-nitrate solution."He smiled grimly at the dark windshield. "What, no grenade launchers?""Would they work?""I choose not to comment.”

“Is this your bedroom?" she asked, and turned to look at him. Myrnin straightened and jammed the big red floppy hat back on his head. The feathers waved back and forth."Don't get any ideas," he said. "I'm far too young and innocent for that kind of thinking.”

“You look like a Goth factory exploded all over you!" he called as she ran down the hall."Love you, too, jackass!”

“Please. I am the queen of careful. Also, princess of punk fabulousness.”

“Did you see my ninja move?That was fast, right?""You are not a ninja, Shane.""I've watched all the movies. I just haven't gotten the certificate from the correspondence course yet.”

“Tell you what: you can be Glammera the vampire hunter. I'll stick with being manly and heavily armed.”

“You're seriously going to worry about what people think right now?""No, I'm worrying about people taking pictures and putting them on Facebook. That crap never dies. Kind of like you, Mikey."Michael, straight-faced, said, "He's got a point, because I would definitely take pictures. So would you."Eve had to grin. "Yeah, I would. Okay, then. But you'd look glam. I could fix you up with silver eye shadow to match.”

“Getting two-inch silver chain chokers around the neck of a guy, especially Shane, proved to be more of a problem.Shane held the jewelry at arm's length, dangling it like a dead rat. "No way in hell am I caught dead or alive wearing that.""Oh, come on, just this once," Eve said. "Protects your neck. As in your arteries and veins? That's kind of crucial, right?""Thanks for the thought, but it doesn't go with my shoes.”

“Faster!" Shane yelled. Eve hit the gas hard, and whipped around a slower-moving van. The firing ceased, at least for now. "You see why I didn't want you to stop?""Okay, your father is officially off my Christmas list!" Eve yelled. "Oh my God, look at my car!”

“Silence, and then Eve said, "Okay, that was extra creepy, with whipped creepy topping. And this is me, changing my mind.”

“I'll do it!""No, you won't," Shane and Michael said, at virtually the same time. Shane continued. "You're barely on your feet, Claire. You don't go anywhere, not without me.""And me," Michael said."Hell," Eve sighed. "I guess that means I have to go, too. Which I may not ever forgive you for, even if I don't die horribly.”

“No, not you two. Stay here.''Does he just not get how unfair and sexist that is?' Eve asked. 'Men.''You really want to go first?''Of course no. But I'd like the chance to refuse to go first.”

“What about Myrnin?'Eve swallowed, almost choked, and Michael patted her kindly on the back. She beamed at him. 'Myrnin? Oh yeah. He did a Batman and took off into the night. What is with that guy, Claire? If he was a superhero, he'd be Bipolar Man.”

“Better be," Eve said. She mock-bit at his finger. "I could totally date somebody else, you know.""And I could rent out your room.""And I could put your game console on eBay.""Hey," Shane protested. "Now you're just being mean.”