Thea Harrison

“And why couldn’t someone just FedEx him Urien’s head?”

“We’re still not going to talk about it, but just think for a minute, will you? Dragon?” She curled her hands into claws. “Rowr? Me leaving town?”

“Damn. Did that twee little chick just pull off scary?”

“She frowned. “Did I do or say something yesterday that I should apologize for?”“Not you cupcake,” said Graydon. “But apparently a lot of other people in the Tower have. Rune thinks we should rename it Melrose Place. I think Peyton Place has a more classic feel to it, don’t you?”“Oh no,” she said. “You got the tablecloth away from Tricks.”Rune grinned. “Not before the little shit bit me.”

“She leaned forward and staggered, as she confided in a whisper, “You’re the sexiest guy I’ve ever seen too. You know, your long, scaly, reptilian tail really is bigger than anybody else’s. Not that I’ve been with very many guys. Or was comparison shopping or anything.” She hiccupped and watched him worriedly as he guffawed. “Have I just gone over a conversational cliff?”

“Pia counted through the burp. “… two ten thousand, three ten thousand, four – oop, you win.” She stared at the little faerie in awe. “Where did you put all that air?”

“I’ve got to give myself one thing. Mom never did tell me not to steal from a dragon. No doubt she thought it was too flaming obvious to mention.”

“Besides...' She smiled. 'I'm perfectly safe, remember? I've got you. I've always got you.''Please always stay mine,' he whispered.'Always.”

“He had never bothered to count time before, but he started to now, and it began with counting each breath she took.”

“Keep looking only at me. There is no danger. You're perfectly safe. I've got you. I've always got you. You're mine. I will never let go. I will always protect you. You are my life now. Do you understand anything I'm saying?”

“I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I will not let you fall, or fail. I will always come for you if you leave, always find you if you're lost. Always. ---- Rune speaking to Carling”

“So is that your long, scaly reptilian tail or are you just happy to see me?”

“Time was a funny thing... Instead of marching in at a measured pace, it seemed to flow like a river. Quiet days pooled together, languid with a sense of sameness, and events swirled and eddied, and time seemed to pick up its pace. Then there was the tumbling, dangerous rush of white water over the rocks, and the heart-stopping terror of relentless inevitability as the water fell over the edge, and you knew that no matter what you might do or wish, you could not stop that flow from falling.All you could do was surrender to the experience and flow with it.”

“Civilization was a dance, and the ancient Wyr were late to the ball. They donned masks and slipped with silent predatory grace into the ballroom. They watched with sharp eyes that glittered deep in the shadows behind their assumed facades, recording and learning the twist and rhythm of the dance, the social mores, when to bow and press their lips to the back of the hand, how to smile and say good evening, please and thank you and yes, I shall take more sugar with my tea.All the while they noted the pulse that fluttered at the base of the dancers' necks, the scents of sweat and the quickened breath.”

“Sometimes at Christmas she would slip into neighborhoods just like this one. She would walk along the streets and peer into windows at family and holiday gatherings, and marvel at the shiny gold, crimson and green decorated trees covered with tinsel and twinkling colored lights, while she wondered what it must be like to experience the beauty of such an ordinary, unattainable life.”

“What will the last syllable of recorded time be, and who will be the one to write it? No matter how long we live, we still wonder when our world will end and how.”

“Niniane gave the Vampyre a lopsided smile then looked at her hands. She couldn't possibly tell Carling that she thought the Vampyre was something precious and horrific, an enigmatic tragedy like the ruins of a historic battlefield.”

“Niniane thought she saw something odd as Aryal looked back at them. The harpy's eyes were narrowed, her angular face white with strain. Niniane might have been mistaken. Dangling upside down, everything looked wrong. People moved in weird ways, their smiles all turned down, and liquid spilled from drinks falling up. It was like looking in a carnival hall of mirrors in a dream.”

“Assume you will make enemies. Work to make allies. Don't expect to make friends. Friends are a gift that happens over time.”

“Holy cow. She actually managed to get in two good, solid hits in a row. The sentinels were going to be high-fiving each other at her funeral.”

“How was your day?” she whispered.“It went as expected,” he said. “Mostly. No one died. All of the sentinels went through to the next round, but then nobody believed anything different would occur. Graydon—” His gold eyes danced suddenly. “You know what a big motherfucker Graydon is. He turned into a gryphon, and then he just sat down and looked at his opponent, who forfeited. It was the fastest bout of the day.”

“My worst mistake ever. We should not talk about that penny any more, la la la.” He pulled her hands down. “We’re never going to stop talking about it. That penny is one of my favorite memories.” Her mouth dropped open. “Liar! You only liked what came afterward. You hated having your penny stolen.” “True,” he admitted. “But I loved the note you left me.”

“I gave them their chance,” she said. “And my give-a-shit button’s broken, baby.”

“It wasn’t enough violence for him. He wanted to do damage to something else. Preferably to something with an aquiline Roman profile that said ouch.”

“She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that’s best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes.’ Darling, you have always been gorgeous but now you are now officially the shit.”

“She shook her head. “I don’t know who the hell you are,” she told the woman in the mirror. “But you look mighty cute.”

“Goddamn, he thought, I don’t love you a little. I might actually love you a lot.”

“You wear classic black Chanel with frightening aplomb. When you’re not wearing those catastrophic muumuus.”

“Don’t sulk,” he told her. “It doesn’t become someone of your age.” She rolled her eyes even as, he was delighted to note, she kissed him back. “Oh, the age thing? You just had to go there, didn’t you?”

“Whatever the issue was, it’d had the chance to ferment for a few days already.”

“Graydon: “Where are those files you wanted me to look at? I can never figure out the new system on the shared drive, and you promised you’d show me. Call me back when you can.” No, son. You can figure it out on your own. I have faith in you.”

“Oh, fuck Zen,” she muttered. “I’ll get enlightened when I die.”

“He gave her a sleepy, innocent smile. “What’d I do?”

“A slightly crazed expression came into her eyes. She hit him again, harder.”

“What had he called himself? A stupid, crazy, illogical, senseless, rampantly jealous ass. Damn right, he was a stupid ass. . . .Wait, that wasn’t the relevant part she should remember.”

“I do not know why we are indulging in a fit of psychosis right now, but so help me, I will throw your crackbrained ass out the window if you don’t stop right there.”

“Were you her lover? Did she cheat on you?” He paused. Rhoswen glared at him but remained silent. He said, “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that’s a no. Did she really have to get rid of her servant just because I came along? Wait, here it comes again: no.”

“The low, rough sound he emitted at that was infuriating, fascinating. Wait. Was he still growling? Or was he purring? His eyes drifted half closed. He gave her a heavy-lidded, sleepy, sensual, entirely disingenuous look.”

“He felt goaded by her impenetrability, by what clawed at him from within. He started to growl. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Are you growling at me?”

“If you ever try to do anything to restrict my movements again, you’ll find out I know how to hold a grudge too,” she said between her teeth. “In fact, I have a real talent for it.”

“He imprisoned the rest of her body by the simple expediency of lying down on top of her.”

“She shouted at Rune, “You did not just do that!” His deep voice sounded overhead. “How is that disbelief working out for you?”

“He also ate every scrap of the cold meat she had cooked for him, and good gods, it was pretty awful. Somehow she had managed to wreck the simple task of browning chicken in a skillet. The outside was charred black, and the inside oozed juice that was still pink.”

“She had found Rasputin to be an odd, intense man. He had been undeniably human and very likely insane, but anyone who could survive reputedly being stabbed, poisoned, shot multiple times, mutilated, and badly beaten before finally drowning, deserved a certain amount of respect.”

“Rune’s eyes danced and his lean tanned features lit with laughter. “You . . . cooled the meat for me?” “Rasputin cannot eat the chicken when it is too hot,” she said, frowning at him. “It seemed logical that you would not be able to either.”

“More to distract her than from any real sense of hunger, he said, “Got any more of that chicken you cook for the dog?” Rune was just too . . . something. In the kitchen, Carling shoved several large pieces of cooking flesh around in the skillet and glared at them.”

“He said, “What’s in the wardrobe?” She glanced at him. “Books that don’t behave.” Misbehaving books? Not bothering to hide his skepticism, he said, “Uh-huh.”

“Alex the pilot heaved a sigh and said, “I am required by FAA regulations . . . blah blah . . . seat belt . . . blah . . .”

“That may be so, but his faerie had suffered too much and he had had more than enough. If anybody so much as looked at her funny, he was going to come down hard on them with both size fourteen steel-toed boots. Then he would consider seriously the merits of evisceration.”

“Aryal yawned. She had stretched out on the floor, her long legs crossed at the ankle. She said in a drowsy voice, “I could start bitch-slapping people. Sooner or later somebody would squawk.”