“Of course.” She fluffed her hair. “I don’t want to brag, but I’m very high maintenance.”“Uh, I think low maintenance is what’sdesirable.”“Low maintenance is what’s forgettable. You might want to write that down, underline it, circle it and put a star by it. It’s golden.” With barely a breath, she added, “Now let’s find out if we’re compatible, shall we?”

“Low maintance is what's forgettable. You might want to right that down, underline it, circle it and put a star by it. It's golden.”

“You again,” she said, and she did not sound happy.“I know,” the warrior replied with a heartfelt sigh. “You’re so lucky to see me twice in one day. You’re honored by my presence, yada, yada, heard it all before. Let’s just move on, shall we. I don’t handle fawning very well.”

“When is your birthday?” (…)Wide silver-gold eyes swung to him. “You don’t know?”“No.”Pouting, she twirled a strand of her hair. “How can you not know?”“Do you know mine?” he asked.“Of course I do. It’s the day you met me.”

“Speaking of, “When is your birthday?” Strider asked Kaia. Wide silver-gold eyes swung to him. “You don’t know?”“No.”Pouting, she twirled a strand of her hair. “How can you not know?”“Do you know mine?” he asked.“Of course I do. It’s the day you met me.As good a day as any. “No, it’s not, because that was a trick question, baby doll. I don’t actually have a birthday. I was created fully formed, not born.” True story.“You can be such a moron.” She threw up her arms, exasperated. “Don’t argue with me about this kind of thing. I’ll always be right. Seriously. You were dead until you met me and we both know it. Which means I brought you to life. So, happy belated birthday.”

“I'm not mad, though," Kat said. "You lied to me, and I lied to you. We're even."Finally he lost the grin. "When did you lie?"She gave him a Sweet'N Low smile, as if his amusement had been poured into her. "Every time we messed around. I didn't actually enjoy myself, if you know what I mean.”

“She's a skank. He's a player. He's cute but almost OD'd last year, so he's a bad bet. She's a two-faced, lying, cheating witch. That's right, Trina, I'm talking to you," she shouted. "By the way," she added just for me, "Trina cusses, which means cussing is trashy, which means my golden rule is to never cuss. I have class. Unlike Trina, the skank of Birmingham." The last part was, of course, shouted.”