“I know I won’t be there for every part of your life, but I’d like you to be there for every part of mine. I do.”

“I’m here for every bit of your life. The bad parts, the scary parts. And I vow to do all you ask of me that is fair … even at the end.” I knew I didn’t have to elaborate; I could see that he’d gotten it, and that it moved him. "I do.”

“You're a zombie. If you're not missing body parts, you're doing it wrong!”

“I mean, I don't even like guys with light hair, for one thing! Never mind the fact that he'd knock me into a coma every time he opened his mouth. Oh, and that he's a hateful, violent half-wit. Yeah, that's prime courtship material right there."It wasn't me. YES!Wait. Was this that Allister fellow?I drifted over and sat next to her. She looked at me and offered the com unit. "Bram, tell Pamma that there's no way I would want Michael Allister, ever."I ran this through my "girl talk" translator and said, "I could eat him, if either of you'd like. Seems like it might be the easiest thing to do.”

“Love's like a cigarette..You know you had my heart aglow, Between you fingertips.And, just like a cigarette, I never knew the thrill of lifeUntil you touched my lips.Then just like a cigarette, Love seemed to fade away and Leave behind ashes of regret..And, with a flick of your fingertips, It was easy for you to forget...”

“Why didn't you go with your parents?" I shouted at Michael."Because I knew they were all right!" he shouted back, fixing his eyes on me. "I wasn't so sure about you! I couldn't call on you after your arrest. All I could do was vouch for you."I blinked. "You vouched for me?" New Victorians charged with crimes could get out of paying bail or remaining imprisoned if they had someone powerful and aristocratic enough to speak on their behalf."Yes! Didn't you parents tell you? I met them at the courthouse the day your counsel summoned them."I shook my head, and committed a note to memory: If parents survive, kill them.”

“Marked.” My face was on fire, my limbs shaking. “All of you. I will take all of you out with my own bare hands!”There was laughter building in Bram’s voice as he responded. “As cute as I’m sure that would be, your attempt…if we thought the people who might try to trace that chip could make you absolutely, one hundred percent safe, I would carry you to them and hand you over myself.”I gingerly rested my fingertips against my forehead, breathing deeply, trying to calm myself down.“There are some very bad men out to get you, Miss Dearly.”“You have got to be kidding me.”“By the way, you have quite the vocabulary, for a princess.” He still sounded amused.This statement was random enough to get my attention. “Princess?” I asked, confused.“You know, a princess. A New Victorian girl.”My lips parted to fire off another question before it clicked. “You’re a Punk.”“Born and bred.”“Fantastic.”