“Are you going to apologize for slapping me?""No.""I didn't think so," he said.”

“I growled and then slapped him."Hey!" His hand pressed to his cheek."You always say that when I slap you," I said."I think it's a problem that you know what I say when you slap me," he said. "That's not the kind of intimacy I'm looking for.”

“I'll help you with whatever's made you upset," he said. "But this morning you blew me off and I'm not going to kiss you today just so you can tell me to go to hell tomorrow."-Shay”

“He told me how special you are," he said, flashing Shay an unfriendly smile. "Because of your great-great-times-a-hundred-grandmother Eira who got us into this mess when she became a demon's mistress." "Thanks for reminding me," Shay said. "So now you know why you and Calla were supposed to cut my throat instead of a cake at your wedding. Too bad that didn't happen." Ren Stiffened. "I'm not sorry you made it out of Vail alive. As for the rest of it ... we'll see how that turns out, won't we?”

“Silas?" I glanced from Ren to the mad-haired scholar. "He was your company?" "Still jealous?" Ren winked at me. "I was not jealous," I said. "Really?" Ren said. "So that harpy-ish tone was your normal speaking voice?”

“He leaned toward me, murmuring, “I think one-on-one sounds better, don’t you?”His teeth gently caught my earlobe. All my muscles turned to liquid. I dropped the stirring rod and grabbed the edge of the table so I wouldn’t collapse.”

“This is where you belong, Calla.” He pulled me closer, tilting my chin up. “Be with me. Tell me it’s what you want.”I couldn’t tear my eyes from his. “What I want?”“Yes. Anything, everything you need, I’ll give you. Always. I promise. Just tell me one thing.”“What?”“That you want this, us.” His voice dropped so low I could barely hear him. “That someday you’ll love me.”My hands began to tremble where they rested around his neck. “Ren, you know we’re going to be together. We’ve both known that for a long time.”He gave me a hard look. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”“Why are you asking me this?” I tried to pull back, but he held me against him.The glimmer of a smile appeared on his lips. “Why not?”My temper flared. “Are you trying to say that you love me?”I meant it as a challenge rather than a serious question, but his eyes seemed to catch fire.“What do you think?” He touched his lips to mine, softly at first, gradually building pressure, parting them.”