Rachel Hawkins

“Jackass, jackass on the wall, where's the info on Hex Hall?”

“Hey,”he said, taking in my disheveled appearance. “Why are you up so early?”“Oh, I was just, you know, exercising.”I jogged in place for a second before realizing that I probably looked like a mental patient.”

“Why had my life suddenly become a Nancy Drew mystery from hell?”

“At a normal high school, having class outside on a gorgeous May day is usually pretty awesome. It means sitting in the sunshine, maybe reading some poetry, letting the breeze blow through your hair...At Hecate Hall, a.k.a. Juvie for Monsters, it meant I was getting thrown in the pond.”

“Well, apparently he didn't go through the Removal. He's still got powers.""Yeah, powers over your pants,”

“Thanks to the humidity, my hair felt like it had tripled in size. I could feel ittrying to devour my sunglasses like some sort of carnivorous jungle plant.”

“Los poderes de nuestras familias son muy antiguos. Descendemos de los ángeles. Y tu que eres? Una humana patetica infectada por un parásito. Un monstruo""Seras siempre increíblemente poderosa, Sophie me dijo la directora. Esperemos que como tu padre sepas utilizar este poder al servicio del Concilio”

“I wish we could go to the movies.”

“Or maybe they were staring at me as I tried to discreetly wipe sweat from between my breasts without appearing to get to second base with myself. Hard to say.”

“... we hardly ever know the decisions we make that change our lives, mostly because they are the small ones”

“It occurred to me that my cheek was probably right over his tattoo. Without thinking, I lifted my face and tugged at the neckline of his T-shirt. This time, the stark black-and-gold mark wasn't hidden. No need for that spell anymore, I guess. Still, I covered it with my palm. Archer's hands clutched reflexively on my waist. Our eyes met. "It doesn't burn this time," I whispered.His breathing was ragged. "Beg to differ, Mercer.”

“I can't say what my first thought was as I sunk below the surface, because it was mostly a string of four-letter words.”

“I would actually write books totally full of nothing BUT kissing scenes, but apparently people like books to have, like, "plots" or whatever.”

“Archer?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. Hey, you might be able to take away my magical powers, but the power of sarcasm was still at my disposal. “Is your last name Newport or Vanderbilt? Maybe followed by some numbers? Ooh!” I said, widening my eyes, “or maybe even Esquire!”I’d hoped to hurt his feelings or, at the very least, make him angry, but he just kept smiling at me. “Actually, it’s Archer Cross, and I’m the first one. Now what about you?” He squinted. “Let’s see . . . brown hair, freckles, whole girl-next-door vibe going on . . . Allie? Lacie? Definitely something cutesy ending in ie.”You know those times when your mouth moves but no sound actually comes out? Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. And then, of course, my mom took that opportunity to end her conversation with Justin’s parents and call out, “Sophie! Wait up.”“I knew it.” Archer laughed. “See you, Sophie,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the house.”

“I heard the man and woman cry a warning as I frantically racked my brain for some sort of throat-repairing spell, which I was clearly about to need. Of course the only words that I actually managed to yell at the werewolf as he ran at me were, 'BAD DOG!'Then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of blue light on my left. Suddenly, the werewolf seemed to smack into an invisible wall just inches in front of me...."You know," someone said off to my left, "I usually find a blocking spell to be a lot more effective than yelling 'Bad dog,' but maybe that's just me.”

“So how was cellar duty tonight?Cellarific”

“I sat up and pushed my wet hair out of eyes. Cal was standing a few feet away. I glared at him. "Awesome job with the saving.”

“No, but as a vampire, I'm able to detect subtle shifts in emotional energy.”

“Did Dad have a blog about me or something? “My Daugther Sophie and Why You Should Al Follow Her and/or Marry Her.”

“Cal had been waiting for us at the pond. When he’d seen me, he’d given me a barely perceptible nod, which was the Cal version of waving his hands over his head and yelling, “Hey, Sophie!”

“... everything suddenly got twistier and more complicated than Mrs. Casnoff's hairdo.”

“How is it that you can go from decent human being to complete jackass in zero-point-two seconds? Did they teach you that in The Eye?"He stopped, and his eyes glided over my lips."Actually, I'm just trying to see if I can make you mad enough to kiss me again.”

“Most girls got flowers. I got a dirt pit used for demon raising. Nice.”

“I was panting slightly, thanks to trying to keep up with him. Stupid short legs.”

“Never hurts to be prepared....""It just seems like overkill when you already have a sword and I have superpowerful magic at my disposal.""'Superpowerful'? .... Let me remind you of two words, Mercer: Bad. Dog.”

“So did The Eye come here looking for me?""Actually, we came because we heard it was free corn dog night. Imagine our disappointment.”

“It's so obnoxious when you're right about stuff.”

“I didn't actually think you were hanging out at Hex Hall because of your burning love for me. But that's what I'm telling all the girls back at school," I said, stabbing a forkful of eggs. "I'm thinking 'heartbreaker' might be a nice addition to my 'avenging witch' reputation.”

“Must be weird for you, having your mom here.""Weird for me, weird for her, probably weird for you since you had to give up your swinging bachelor pad.""Mrs. Casnoff let me install my heart-shaped Jacuzzi in my new dorm room.""Cal," I said with mock astonishment, "did you just make a joke?""Maybe.”

“Jenna and Vix laughed at that and, after making me promise to hang out with them tomorrow, practically waltzed out the door. I felt like there should have been rainbows and rose petals in their wake or something.Ugh. That was catty.”

“I was supposed to watch you, yeah. They thought it was weird that Atherton would send his own kid to Hecate, so we wanted to keep an eye on you. No pun intended.” (Archer)”

“It just seems like overkill when you already have a dagger and I have superpowerful magic at my disposal.”“‘Superpowerful?’”He stood up, a gold chain dangling from his fingers. “Let me remind you of two words, Mercer: Bad. Dog.”

“All the magic in the world can’t simplify affairs of the heart.” (Sophie's dad)”

“...And of course, your dad was always talking about you, so between him and Jenna, I feel like I already know you.”Man, first Cal, then Lara and the other Council members, now Vix. Did Dad have a blog about me or something? “My Daughter Sophie and Why You Should All Follow Her and/or Marry Her.”

“None of this makes any sense.""I'm beginning to think I should make that the title of my autobiography.”

“She was my assignment.""From The Eye?""No, from the Boy Scouts. That Witch Dating badge just kept eluding me.""Well, you must have at least three Total Douchebag badges by now, so that has to count for something.”

“And I have faith that you'll make a wonderful head of the Council someday, Sophie."Yeah, except for that whole sleeping with the enemy part, I thought. Wait, not that I would actually be sleeping with...I mean, it's a metaphor. There would only be metaphorical sleeping.”

“I blew out a breath. "Dad, this is a total cluster...um, a mess."He flashed me a wry smile. "I think the word you were about to use is probably the best summation of the current situation.”

“I was about to try Skill Fifteen, which involved both breaking his nose and potentially ending his chances of ever having kids, when my captor bent down and whispered in my ear, "Don't even think about it, Mercer.”

“Ugh. A club for Prodigium? That conjured up images of way more velvet and dry ice and angst than I was up for.”

“Nick leaned forward, his eyes practically burning. "Or maybe the rumor is true. Maybe you didn't kill him because you're in love with him.”

“Oh, God, if that's where this woman had gotten her Sophie Mercer gossip, I was surprised she'd greeted me with a handshake instead of an exorcism.”

“Wow, Cross. I think you missed your calling. Screw demon hunting: you should clearly be writing Hallmark cards.”

“Please don't joke and bleed at the same time.”

“Somehow, my whole existence had become a really complicated word problem. I'd always sucked at those.”

“See ya, Mercer."Happiness flooded through me as warm and bright as sunlight. "See ya, Cross.”

“This thing with us is the only real thing I've had in a long time. You're the only real thing." He raised our hands and kissed my knuckles. "And I'm done pretending I don't want you.”

“Well, that explained it, then. Secret demon hunter and thief. Man, did I know how to pick 'em.”

“Don't even think about it, Mercer.”

“Why, Sophia Mercer! Is that disappointment I detect with my super=special vamp powers?”