Rachel Caine

“What you know about Vampires could fit into a mosquito's ass." Eve said. Irritated. "All you know is what you grew up seeing on T.V. You ever actually meet one?”

“You're sure he's not a vampire?' Claire said.'I've seen movies. They're sneaky.' She was kidding. Eve didn't smile.”

“Harte sent one of her revived men after him, and Pat sent him back in boxes.”

“I suppose I’ll have to clean up Freddy’s brains; I hate to leave a mess for the home owners. Hand me that plastic bag; I need to put it over his head to keep him from leaking. Oh, relax, Freddy; I’ll tear an airhole for you.” - Mercer”

“Her phone rang again. “What?” she snapped as she answered it.Myrnin, of course. “Are you on your way?”“No!”“Claire, there are things to do.”“Here, too,” she said. “And I’m staying here, believe me.”Myrnin was silent for a beat, and then he said, “Bob would be very disappointed in you.”“Bob the spider?”“He looks at you like a mother, you know. I’m surprised at your lack of work ethic. Think of the example you set for—”She hung up on him and turned the phone on vibrate and relaxed in Shane’s arms.”

“..."I can always stuff you back in the bottle and shove a tampon in the top instead of a stopper, and all the other Djinn will point and laugh-”

“ An intriguing world where vampires rule, only the strongest survive, and romance offers hope in the darkest hours.”

“Shane it came back to her in a dizzy rush how he'd stopped her on the way into this place, in the faint dawn of light 'i wnt you to promise me one thing. promise me you'll marry me. Not now. Someday.”

“Are you in the car that's almost caused three accidents on North Vance?" Hannah asked. "Because I'm following you with my lights flashing, and whoever's driving isn't pulling over.""Let him go," Claire said. "Trust me. You aren't going to get him to stop.""Oh, God. It's Myrnin, isn't it?""Tell that police lady to stop chasing me," Myrnin said, annoyed, from the front seat. "Really, I'm not THAT bad at this.”

“Take her home. And-""Say nothing- yes, yes, I heard you the first seven hundred times," Myrnin said, much too sharply. "I'm ancient. I'm not deaf.”

“All right," he said. "Since you ask so nicely.""I wasn't asking.""I'm aware of that. The sharp point in my back did make it clear.”

“Now could you please ask these idiots to stop pointing their bullets at me? It's terribly wasteful.”

“Hello! Your dear father is unfortunately very dead," he called. "And you said my dispersal system would never work!”

“What was your name again?""Still Eve.""No, I'm sure it's something else. That doesn't seem right.”

“See?" he said, with an unholy amount of glee. "I hardly broke any laws at all. I should drive more often.""No. Trust me, you shouldn't," Eve said. "Think of all the little old people and the children.”

“You've turned into quite a bossy little thing," Myrnin said. "I think I might like it.”

“Why did you destroy Manny's office, then?""I--can't breathe--""That is the point of choking you," I pointed out. "Haste, please, if you want to live."-Cassiel”

“And I am not finished," I promised. "Tell me where to find the child.""F*** you!""I'm not attracted to you," I said. "But if by that you mean you won't help me, then I have no use for you.”

“What’s her name? Claire, what’s her name?”

“It is a natural stronghold for them—they can infest this maze of iron and water like a horde of starving cockroaches, and they’ll be just as hard to anticipate and to kill in such close quarters.” “Wow,” Shane said. “You really know how to drum up team spirit. Did you print up Team Total Fail jerseys, too?” Myrnin gave him an entirely crazy smile. “Would you be surprised if I had?”

“Moi?” He put his hand over his heart and did his best wounded-innocent look. “You must be thinking of some other uncouth jackass. Which makes me jealous, by the way.”

“Is it crazy right now to say I love you?” She didn’t even pause. “Given that I just stabbed you? Seems a little weird, yeah.”

“She was starting to feel a little like a hamburger at a dieters’ convention. Nobody was likely to snack on her, but absolutely everybody noticed she was edible.”

“As I leafed through the book in front of me and watched the dust swirl in the air, I wondered if maybe there was some evil dormant virus in the pages that would infect me, like the mummy dust that used to kill archaeologists. Death by research. That was not a glorious end.”

“When giants fought, ants were crushed.”

“He smiled, and it made his dimples come out. “I think I’m more Batman,” he said. “You know, what with all the bats and nighttime activities. And Batman is much cooler.” “Geek.” His smile widened. “You say the nicest things. Haven’t you heard? Geeks run the world now.” -BLACK DAWN”

“What was our daughter’s name? I should know that. But I didn’t. I didn’t.Because she doesn’t exist. Wake up!“Dad—” I looked back. Frank was gone. There was just the sidewalk, and a gray fog, and the rain, rain beating down on my face, beading up on my skin. “If Iwake up I’m going to lose them. I can lose everything but them. Dad—” I didn’t want this, but I didn’t want to let it go. I couldn’t. I started to walk back to thehouse, to Claire, to the baby whose name I hadn’t decided yet, to a future without vampires where I was respected and important and my dad loved me and …And I knew I couldn’t have that.Because I’m Shane Collins, and I don’t get those things.Because that isn’t how my world is.WAKE UP!I did.”

“Myrnin was silent for a beat, and then he said, "Bob would be very disappointed in you.”

“Hannah: What's your plan?Claire: Go get himHannah: Honey, that is not a plan. That's what we in the military call an objective.”

“That's very rude," Myrnin said. "I haven't brought my fangs our for some time. Not in mixed company, anyway.”

“You can't go around... licking things that come out of a water treatment plant. That's just... unsanitary.”

“The rule of the Morrell family was over, and Richard owned a used-car lot and Monica worked at a nail salon, until one day she got run over by a bus. Very sad.”

“Shane: "Score," he said, and raised the crowbar in triumph. "Who's your daddy?"- Black Dawn”

“Shane: "Bro," he said, in an injured tone, "I had to go out with a flamethrower, and you weren't there to see it." Michael: "Pics or it didn't happen." Shane: "Dude, little busy for pics. You know, throwing flame.”

“How can you smell this good after the kind of crappy day we've had?" "I sweat perfume. Like all girls.”

“I only need to know one thing. Am I going to need the flamethrower?”

“Even bipolar vampires needed sleep from time to time, and he was well past his recommended safe dosage of stress.”

“He held up one finger. "I thought it wasn't loaded" Shane said. Second finger. "Hand me a match so I can check the gas tank." Third finger. "Killed over ice cream. Basically, any death that requires me to be stupid first."Michael shook his head. "So what's on your good list?""Oh you know. Hero stuff that gets me rerun on CNN, Like I died saving a busload of supermodels" Claire smacked his arm. "Ow! Saving them! What did you think I meant?”

“There is a certain freedom in giving up all hope. One is no longer bound by the cords of dread or fear; you simply move toward the inevitable without thinking on the consequences.”

“but sometimes optimism is the only drug that works.But it’s sadly temporary in its effects.”

“When she set Shane’s glass of Coke down in front of him, she did it with probably a little too much emphasis; he glanced up at her with a question-mark expression.[...] ‘‘What?’’ Shane asked her, and took a drink. ‘‘Did I forget to say thanks? Because, thanks. Best Coke ever. Did you make it yourself? Special recipe?”

“does you costume involve leather?" she'd asked. and he'd said, "Actually, yeah, it might."it really did. it involved a leather dog collar, leather pants and a leash, and the leash was held by Ysandre, who was in skintight red rubber, from neck to knee high boots. she'd topped it off with a pair of devil horns and a red tridant. she'd made Shane her dog, complete with furry dog mask. ***"Breathe," Myrnin said. "I'm not much for it myself, but i hear it's quite good for humans."***”

“And before you ask, no, you're not driving, Myrnin. I remember the last time.''That accident was not my fault.''You were the only one on the road, and the mailbox actually didn't leap out in front of you. No arguments. You sit in the back, too.”

“Booyah, I will summon the ninja. Oh, and take a lunch break while we burgle.""You're going, too?""Am I not ninja enough? Are you saying that I lack ninja?""No, I was just thinking you're a little, uh, recognizable, maybe?"Eve batted her thick eyelashes. "Why, thank you, sweetie. That's the nicest insult I've had today, not counting the jock who said he'd date me but he had a restraining order out for necrophelia.”

“When you sleep later than a vampire, Claire thought, that's probably taking it a little too far.”

“In any group of people, no matter how hard-assed they might appear, there’s always a geek.”

“I get maudlin. Some people drink; some get depressed; some run around having sex with anyone with a pulse. Me, I get philosophical. It’s healthier.”

“There were so many layers of reality to the world. Nothing stopped for death; nothing stopped for grief or horror or tragedy.”

“There were things out there in the world, things that vampires feared, and now those things were here. She was only seconds out of a very light, fitful sleep, but she knew that the nightmares had followed her effortlessly right into the real world. The draug. They weren’t vampires; they were something else, something that moved through water, formed out of it, dragged vampires down to a slow and awful death.”

“A rap at the back door made her jump, and she peered through the window for a long time before she eased open the door a crack. She left the security chain on. 'What do you want, Richard?'Richard Morrell's police cruiser was parked in the drive. He hadn't flashed any lights or howled any sirens, so she supposed it wasn't an emergency, exactly. But she knew him well enough to know he didn't pay social visits, at least not to the Glass House.'Good question,' Richard said. 'I guess I want a nice girl who can cook, likes action movies, and looks good in short skirts. But I'll settle for you taking the chain off the door and letting me in.”