“I barely noticed. I was still reeling from the sight of Falin. Of him standing beside her. Of him touching her. My mouth went dry, and even Malik's soulful voice faded to a buzz in my ears. Something in my chest had frozen. Maybe it was my lungs, because I couldn't seem to breathe. He's with her. And of course, he was. Look at her.”

“Elizabeth's fingers slipped around my arm. She stepped forward, her fangs flashing. My breath caught, but not in fear.Damn Tiffany and her vampire-bite addiction. I shoved the reaction away just in time for Elizabeth's fangs to break skin.Warmth rushed up my arm, the blaze filling my body, my mind. On my other side, Tatius's hand on my arm was like a cool oasis. I groped for his fingers, locking mine around his, pressing the long side of my body along his, and the fire in my body calmed enough I could still see, still think.Cool.”

“Death watched me, amusement once again lifting to his dark eyes. Unlike me with my bedraggled clothes and knotted hair, he looked good in the morning light streaming into my apartment. Okay, actually, he looked exactly the same as when I’d first seen him when I was five years old, but recently I’d come to appreciate the way his black T-shirt pulled tight over the expanse of his shoulders and his faded jeans hugged his ass. Not that I was looking, of course. I mean, he was Death.”

“He was secretive, bossy, and regularly insufferable. He had also saved my life a couple of times. And he looked really good in my kitchen.”

“After the waitress left, I rounded on him. “what, can’t I eat food?”“you could. Probably five or six whole bites before you had to purge it. your digestive track has been altered. Pretend to drink your hot chocolate.”I slouched lower in the booth, my arms over my chest. “but I really like food. It’s the best part about being here in this world.”

“No bit of tail ever comes between you and Prince Charming. He must have entranced you.""Prince Charming?" Falin asked, the question barely a whisper. "What did you think PC stood for? Politically Correct?”

“It said something about my life when a heavily armed official accused me of causing magical havoc and i had to wonder which incident she meant.”