“~I gripped the knife even tighter. Far off in the distance, I could still hear them speaking, but only one thing was clear in my mind: Trevor, my father, was going to die.From that moment on, I was Chloe Kallistrate, a vampire hunter.~”

“Edge will contact you mind- to- mind and let you know what’s going on.” “So I should be prepared to hear voices in my head… other than the usual ones.” Vance added the last part with a grin. Cory gave him a droll stare and said, “Exactly.”

“Holding the knife with the blade against my palm, it became so clear how my life would only contain shadows now. Shadows of things gone; not just the people themselves but everything connected to them. Was this my future? Every moment, every tiny thing I saw and did and touched, weighted by loss. Every space in this house andmy town and the world in general, empty in a way that could never be filled.”

“Edge rolled his eyes as he turned to face her. “I appreciate your concern but I think I can handle a few vampires on my own. Besides… it wasn’t anything serious. I have no unsavory intentions towards her. Despite what you may think of me I am not completely without conscience.” “I don’t think that. I think you’re a man- whore, there’s a difference.”

“Can you take off your shirt?”I couldn’t see Rachel clearly on the other side of my truck’s cab. My eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the darkness of my secret make-out hideout. But I could hear herlaughing her ass off. “Not even for Sean.”“Well, we have to make it look good somehow. Do you mind if I take off mine? My dad says I look like sex on a stick with my shirt off.”“Knock yourself out.”I started to pull my shirt over my head. I was used to wearing T-shirts. When it wouldn’t give, I remembered I was wearing something Sean-like. As I unbuttoned it, Iasked, “Want to make a bet how long it takes him to get out here?”

“My solicitous wife has kept me going despite the ravages of time. I trust she is not weary in well doing nor tired of being thanked.”

“I sat with my feet up on my desk and started to make a mental list of the people who’d want me dead. Once I got to fifty, I decided this wasn’t helping.”