“It was a well-known fact that Will did not own a single suit or anything nearly so nice. So everyone had teased him about going to the prom in jeans and a t-shirt. He had simply smiled and told them to mind their own beeswax then flashed me a grin, that certain sparkle in his eyes.”

“My embarrassment was complete. If I just had passed out, that would have been bad enough. But to make matters worse, Will had carried me outside, where everyone else was; everyone in my youth group had seen Will carrying me. I felt like melting into the bench on which I sat.”

“I rubbed my face with my hands. “Oh, God, what are You getting us into?” Olivia chuckled. “That’s an interesting way to put it. But I think sometimes the Lord puts us into impossible situations—or lets us get into them ourselves—just so He can show His might and power as He pulls us out.”

“You are the seer. Not quite human, strangely ethereal, ever cryptic, the voice soothed even as it unnerved me. The words were familiar, but every time I thought I remembered where I had heard them, the memory floated just out of my reach.”

“The PrologueWhen the autumn breeze blows and stirs up a sense of adventure, I find myself wishing that I could embark on a grand quest full of danger, a journey to an unknown world. A quest of epic proportions that ends in a glorious blaze of heroics before I return home to resume the life that I had left behind for a time. This is only the wishful musings of a normal girl bored with the way things are. Then again, it might not be. My story begins much like any other, but don’t be deceived! This story is nothing like any other you have ever read—or heard, as the case may be. At least, I don’t think it is. But who am I to say such a thing? You must read it and decide for yourself. So. Here it is. I hope you enjoy the ride—or the read, rather.”

“His dark blue shirt was plastered to his chest, covered with werewolf goop and tears. "Now we both need a bath," I said."That can be arranged.""Please, Jean-Claude, no sexual innuendo until after I'm clean.""Of course, MA PETITE. It was crude of me tonight. My apologies."I stared at him. He was being far too nice. Jean-Claude was a lot of things, but nice wasn't one of them."If you're up to something, I don't want to know about it. I can't handle any deep, dark plots tonight, okay?"He smiled and gave a low, sweeping bow, never taking his eyes off me. The way you bow on the judo mat when you're afraid the person may pound you if you look away.I shook my head. He WAS up to something. Nice to know that not everyone had suddenly become something else. One thing I could always depend on what Jean-Claude. Pain in the ass that he was, he always seemed to be there. Dependable in his own twisted way. Jean-Claude dependable? I must have been more tired than I thought.”

“There was a certain graceful ease and freedom about all he said and did, that gave a sense of repose and expansion to the mind, after so much constraint and formality as I had been doomed to suffer.”