“I'm sorry about the dinner.""Best date ever. Well, until people died and vampires showed up. But before that it was awesome.”

“You do realize you just insulted me, right?""How so?""You implied that I can't protect her or my people."I looked at him. "That's not at all what I meant.""Apologize and I'll let it go."I kept my hands firmly on the iron rail before me. Grabbing the weight bar and walloping the Beast Lord upside the head wouldn't be the best diplomatic move."I'm sorry, Your Majesty." There. I was civil. It almost killed me.”

“I kept my hands firmly on the iron rail before me. Grabbing the weight bar and walloping the Beast Lord upside the head wouldn’t be the best diplomatic move.“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” There. I was civil. It almost killed me.“Apology accepted.”“Will there be anything else?”Your Arrogance.”

“You know anything about investigative work?""Sure. Annoy the people involved until the guilt party tries to make you go away.”

“People view us and our vampires as abominations," Ghastek said. "They call the undead inhuman, not realizing the irony: only humans are capable of inhumanity. Four thousand years of technology, with magic shrinking to a mere trickle before the Shift, yet the world was just as evil then as it is now. It's not vampires or werewolves who committed the worst atrocities, but average people. They are the serial killers, the child rapists, the inquisitors, the witch hunters, the perpetrators of monstrous deeds. The shackles on my wall are the symbol of humanity's capacity for cruelty. I keep them to remind myself that I must fear those who fear me.”

“Why me?" He said finally. "Are you on some sort of mission to fuck up my life?""I try my best to avoid you.""You're doing a hell of a job.""I honestly don't mean to cause you problems.""You don't cause problems. An unpiloted vampire causes problems. You cause catastrophes.”

“Your favorite volhv showed up half an hour ago, complaining about his lack of sleep and stupid gods. He says he brought his Batman belt.”