“Yes. And also, if it's okay by you, I'd like to shut up now... Or possibly just go somewhere and swallow my face.”

“Kelley. Your name is Kelley, isn't it?" He didn't wait for her confirmation. "Yes. Well. Tell me...that bit just now...was that from Dante's Inferno?"Uh...no," Kelley stammered. Her face felt hot.Really?"I'm in for it.Are you sure?" he continued. "Because it most certainly wasn't from this play. And it bloody well sounded like hell.”

“Sonny pulled Lucky up short and swung around to face Fennrys. "I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to die surprised. And I swear to all the gods, if the last thought that goes through my mind is 'What the hell was that?' I will hunt you down in the afterlife and punch you in the face throughout eternity.”

“The Janus Guard will also be out that night,” he said, one hand reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “Just as we have been and will be for every night of the Nine.”“Good.”“Speaking of which—Kelley…” Sonny seemed suddenly exhausted. He turned his face to the west, and she could see the fatigue etched into the lines and planes of his face. “It’s getting late. You need to leave the park. Please. Don’t argue with me this time. Just go. The sun will set soon, and I have to go to work.”He squared his shoulders as though he expected her to put up a fight. She did—a little—but only out of actual concern for him. “Shouldn’t you be taking it easy? I mean, you try to hide it with the whole tough-guy-swagger thing and all, but I saw the bandages. You’re really hurt. Aren’t you?”“It’s not so bad.”“Wow. You are a terrible liar.”He frowned fiercely at her.“You also look like you haven’t slept in a week.” She took a tentative step toward him and put a hand on his chest, looking up into his silver-gray eyes. He put his hand over the top of hers, and she could feel the rhythm of his heart beating under her palm, through his shirt and the bandages.“I’m fine.”“Are you sure?”With his other hand, Sonny reached up and brushed a stray auburn curl out of her eyes.“I’m sure.”He smiled down at her, and she felt her insides melt a little. His whole face changed when he smiled. It was like the sun coming out.“But,” he continued, “I’ll be even better if you are safe at home and I don’t have to worry about you for tonight.”“I can take care of myself, Sonny Flannery,” she bristled, halfheartedly.“Please?” He turned up the wattage on his smile.“I…okay.” She felt her own lips turn up in a shy, answering smile. “I’ll be good. This once.”“That’s my girl.”Kelley was silent. Those three words of Sonny’s had managed to render her utterly speechless.”

“Some things you just have to take on faith and believe in at the risk of getting hurt. It's one of the things that the Fair Folk will never understand, and it's something that sets us apart from them. The fact that each and every time we believe in each other we take a risk. Because we know that it might NOT be the truth. But we also know that it MIGHT be.”

“What did the Faerie that attacked you look like?""Super creepy. Ripped jeans, weird tattoos, bad hair. And, come to think of it, really nice boots...""Where?""On his feet."Sonny winced and rubbed his temples. "Where were you attacked, Kelley?""Okay, see...that was a joke.”

“Lucky!" she shouted. The creature pulled up and pranced excitedly before her, front hooves pawing at the ground. Laughing with happiness, Kelley flung her arms around the kelpie and buried her face in his mane. Lucky nuzzled her shoulder and head-butted at her in delight.Besides Sonny, Fennrys gestured with his good arm. "Isn't that...?""The Roan Horse, Harbinger of the Wild Hunt and Fearsome Bringer of Doom. Yeah" Sonny nodded. "Used to be.""Thought so." Lucky kicked up his back hooves like a frolicking colt, and Fennrys snorted is disgust. "Evil really needs to step up its game.”