“Pretty?" mused Katerina. "I suppose so. She has unusual looks. True beauty, I think, requires a touch of cruelty. That seems to be missing.""Good," muttered Cassie under her breath.Richard shot her a warning look.”

“What about Katerina? Is she Head Girl?""Boss Cat, more like." Isabella wrinkled her nose."Where's she from?""Sweden," said Isabella carelessly. Oh, right. So Cassie's movie-star casting had been spot-on. Not that she could imagine Katerina ever Vanting to Be Alone, though. Who else was Swedish? ABBA? Cassie wrinkled her nose. Not a good comparison. "I can see her in a silver catsuit, though," she muttered under her breath.”

“That boy will be horribly deformed by the time he leaves this school.""He will?" said Cassie."From being twisted round Katerina's little finger so often.”

“Now get your Jimmy Choos on. You're going to party with your beau!""Get your Jimmy Choos on, you mean," remarked Cassie under her breath, but she felt a thrill of glamour as she slipped into the gorgeous stilettos. "Am I going to be able to walk?""In these shoes you do not walk, Cassie, you stalk.”

“Where did you get that?" shouted Cassie, rubbing her temples fiercely, fighting to focus."This?" Isabella swung at a hooded figure as it made a lunge for her, cracking her weapon into its head. The figure dropped like a stone. "I bring this to school every term, Cassie! I knew it would come in handsome.""Handy," said Cassie, shaking her head clear at last.”

“You think I don't know these ancient labyrinths? I know them all, in every city. I've known them for centuries.""And you're looking your age," said Cassie.”

“As Isabella turned to reach for it, Richard shrugged off his fencing jacket and plastron. Under it, he was wearing only a sleeveless vest that hugged his muscles tightly. Vain devil, thought Cassie, amused. He knew very well he looked darn good in defeat.”