Taylor Longford

“Everywhere we went, every step we took, girls stopped talking and turned to stare. I'd never seen anything like it. But then, I don't suppose they'd ever seen anything like Reason.We found two seats together in the middle of the room and sat down while a low murmur of noise filled the lecture hall. It sounded like several hundred girls breathing "squee" all at once. I figured I might as well get used to it.”

“MacKenzie started to look frightened and Valor looked like he was going to kill somebody if they didn't stop scaring his girlfriend. At the same time, Victor looked like he was ready to step in and take control of the situation. And if these suits decided to pull out some guns, I could see where they might end up as a set of life-sized garden gnomes.”

“I didn’t mean to suggest there was anything wrong with Victor when we were in the garage,” he started in a growl that didn’t quite sound like an apology. “I’d trust him with your life.”“That’s reassuring,” I muttered with more than a trace of cynicism.“I just wouldn’t trust him with the rest of you.”

“After Reason had left the dining room, Valor’s mouth softened into smile. “Let us know if you have any symptoms.”“Symptoms?” I asked, and jerked my gaze to his eyes. “What kind of symptoms?”“Tell us if your fingernails turn to stone,” Victor chuckled.”

“We’re more than common rock,” he murmured. “We’re pretty nigh indestructible when we’re in our stone forms.”I thought this over. “Then why didn’t they pick you up and throw you into the sea?”He sent me a dark look. “You’re a bloodthirsty lass, aren’t you?”

“MacKenzie grinned at Mim. "They love the modern appliances.""Especially the electric floor sweeper," Valor chuckled."Defiance really has a thing for the vacuum cleaner," MacKenzie agreed in a secretive whisper."If he ever has kids, he'll probably name the first one Hoover," Havoc snickered.”