“I find it intolerable that this lord is out there going about hisdepravities unhindered. I was hoping you might know some way to deal with the man.""Oh, Yes," James said with a dark, ominous smile. "I can think of a few ways.""Short of killing him, that is," Derek felt it prudent to add.James said nothing for nearly ten seconds, then, "If you insist.”

“Its nothing,' said Horace quietly, 'but if you can think of any nicer way of a man killing himself than taking a risk for you, why that's the way I want to die.”

“Thank you sir," she said. "I hope that your friend feels better soon."I shrugged. "The ways of the Lord" I said, "are often dark, but never pleasant.”

“He blocked me. " What'd you do, Chloe?"I sidestepped. He sidesteped."You like him, don't you?" he said. "Yes, I like him. Just not...""Not what?""Talk to Simon. He's the one who thinks...""Thinks what?"Step. Block."Thinks what?""That there's someone else," I blurted before I could stop myself. I took a deep, shuddering breath. "He thinks there's someone else.""Who?"I was going to say I don't know. Some guy from school, I guess. But Derek's expression already knew the answer. The look on his face...It'd been humiliating before, having Simon accuse me of liking Derek, but that was nothing compared to how I felt when I saw Derek's look. Not just surprise, but shock. Shock and horror."Me?" he said. "Simon said he thinks you and I are-" "No, not that. He knows we aren't-""Good. So what does he think?""That I like you." Again, the words flew out before I could stop them.”

“You've changed," he said. "You're-uh-""Yes?""Taller.""I hope so. I was ten the last time you saw me.""And your hair's really dark now-and short," he added.”

“I know it's hard to think that someone might be living in darkness, but I can tell you that sometimes this is the only way we can find the light.”