“Vampire females are as good as extinct.”Thad was aghast. “No females?”Natalya patted his shoulder. “You can date other species, Tiger. Don’t you worry. I’ve already thought of some ladies to relieve you of your big V. One’s a nymph—”“Over my dead body,” Regin said. “Two-bit hookers, every one of them.”Thad scratched his head. “Mr. Lothaire said every male needed a purring nymph or two chained to the foot of hisbed. As pets.”Natalya gasped. “All right, lad, no more talking to Lothaire.”

“Natalya asked, "How'd you escape all the vampires out for your head?"In a monotone voice, Lothaire stated, "I'm that good.”

“Lothaire said, “I have a much better plan.”“Why help him?” Thad asked pointedly. “When you don’t help anybody else?”Lothaire exhaled ruefully. “Incurable romantic.”

“First Emma. Now Thad. Regin was sick and tired of non-evil vampiric creatures messing with her millennium's worth of scathing animosity for their species...”

“You could run, and I could stay to fend them off," the vampire offered. "For some reason, I feel amazingly refreshed." He swung an amused look at Declan that made him grind his teeth. "And it seems I'm quite handy against them."----Natalya tossed away her busted TEP-C. "So, Lothaire, you're going to fight them out of the blackness of your heart?”

“Lothaire is very much alive.”“You swear?”“Often. Though not as much as foul-mouthed Regin. I try not to in front of Bertil.” She petted the bat.“I meant—will Lothaire live?”“He will.”

“Tell me, Lothaire, I want to know. Convince me why I should love you.”“Because any other female would!”