“So they wanted to take Tansy to a different doctor and her husband refused", Ryland said. "I wonder why he would do that." He frowned and leanede close to Kadan, sniffing. "Cinnamon?""Shut the hell up", Kadan said and pushed past him.Ryland took another whiff and gave a low whistle."You smeel yummy. I'm getting hungry. Maybe cinnamon buns".Kadan flipped him off rudely.Nico stood waiting by the front door. As always he was their backup. He frowned when the two Ghostwalkers got close. "What the hell is that smell?""Kadan's new spicy cologne"."Go to hell Rye", Kadan said ans shot him a look thaty should have withered him on the spot. "Both of you can go to hell"."I think his blood sugar's dropping", Ryland explained. "Must have been all the cinnamon candy he got tonight".”

“And Ken said I can't marry you."Jack felt his heart jump in his chest. He glanced at his sleeping brother. "Did he say why?""Yes." She kept her voice sober. "He said you have to ask me properly."Relief made him weak. His pulse beat at his temples, throbbed in his neck. For one moment his fingers closed in her hair in a tight fist. "Properly? If I ask, you might say no, so I'm thinking we'll just start off right and I'll tell you and we'll get the thing done.""Get the thing done?" Briony echoed.Ken snorted aloud. "Jack, I'll take over watch and you get some sleep. I think you fried your brain up there on the roof.""Pipe down over there." Jack said. "You're already stirring up trouble.""Get the thing done?" Briony repeated slowly. "The thing being what exactly?""The ceremony. The paperwork. Whatever the hell it takes to make it legal."Briony sat up and glared at him. "Take your 'it' and shove it, Jack.""There's no need ti be getting upset, Briony. We can't exactly go around with a bunch of kids and not do whatever the hell it is one does to make it legal.""Whatever the hell it takes to make what legal?"He shrugged. "How the hell would I know? I've never done this before. Sleeping together I guess.""So you are going to marry me so it's legal to sleep with me?""This isn't coming out right.""You think?""Don't get upset, baby,. I don't understand why you're getting upset.”

“What the hell was he shooting at? You? Or the birds?''He fired off a few rounds at me, both from here and back there.' Lev turned to indicate the spot where the assailant stood. 'Then he was shooting at the owls.''The ones that attacked him.' There was open skepticism in Jonas's voice.'I don't carry spare owl feathers in my pocket,' Levi said.”

“All around him the chanting swelled, Harm no one, harm no one. What the hell did that mean? He was going to have to shoot the poor son of a bitch, but maybe that was a far better way to go than what the house of horrors had planned. This was a hell of a way for men to die, even if they deserved it.”

“He pulled away abruptly - self-preservation required it - and pressed his brow to hers, breathing deep. "You remember one thing. You decide you want to get married, it's going to be me."Briony watched him stalk outside, slamming the kitchen door behind him. Both eyebrows raised, she turned to Ken.Close your mouth, honey. That's just Jack trying to be romantic and failing miserably. Don't let him get away with that shit either. If he's going to ask you, make him do it all they way. You know - down on one knee, looking stupid."Briony nearly choked. "That's just mean, Ken."He leaned close to her. "If you do it, Briony, tell me first so I can videotape it. I could blackmail him for the rest of his life.”

“He glanced at Ken. "Why the hell does a women complete a family?"Ken shrugged and exchanged a small smile with him. "I don't know, but let's keep her. She's mellowed you out, and I didn't think that was possible.""I've always been mellow.”

“Then I guess we cannot miss the famous festival in New Orleans," he found himself saying, just to take the shadows from her eyes.She was silent a moment, her fingers twisting in the blanket. "Do you mean it, Gregori? We can go?""You know how much I love crowds of humans," he said, straight-faced.She laughed at him. "They don't bite.""I do," he said, the words low and soft, his silver gaze at once possessive.”