“Seriously, why do you read that crap?" asked the girl.Book Boy snapped his volume shut and removed his glasses from his nose. "I speak the truth! In all of these books the girls are throwing themselves at the romantic heroes- romantic heroes who are dead, ho drink human blood. Be of good cheer, my brothers, for I tell you there is hope!"One of the other guys, a large black chap, rolled his lone eye. "Okay, you're cut off. Someone get him a cookbook or something.""Or, you know, some fair damsel to seduce," the girl said, looking up from her reflection.”

“Geez, woman, you're gonna dislocate my jaw.""Well, don't do that in public, you brute!""Wow." Renfield adjusted his glasses. He was sitting across the table from them with a book. "I feel so privileged, being an audience to this-""Shut up, Ren," the other two said simultaneously.”

“I broke away from Samedi and sprinted down the gangplank, screaming out Bram's name. His head turned, and he started limping toward me."Nora!" I heard someone yell.Bram met me halfway. He scooped me up with one arm and pulled my head toward his. I didn't fight it in the least. He kissed me harshly, and I returned it, leaping up on my toes, seeking out his chapped, broken lips with my own, inexpertly, needfully. And then he just held me as I cried, soaking his dirty T-shirt with my tears, his cheek on my head. "I thought you were gone," I managed to get out. "I thought you were really gone...""I thought I was, too," he said, laughing weakly. "But I'd never leave you if I had the choice. I was going to get back to you, or grind to dust trying.”

“Now. Bram, you are a good friend and an uptanding young man, but I'm afraid that tradition dictates I now attempt to scare you within an inch of your unlife.""Understood," Bram said, taking his arm back as I got myself under control.My father is a gentle-looking man. Thus, why I started laughing again as he attempted to look stern. "What are your intentions concerning my daughter?"Bram cast a look my way, laughing himself, before clearing his throat and doing his best to look scared. "Why, to care for and protect her until I rot away, sir.”

“I heard my father trail off, my face hidden in Bram's chest."Ah...I should have told you about that," Samedi said, sounding a trifle embarrased. Bram urged me back again and bent down to give me another peck on the lips, a calmer one. I melted into it."You do realize that this is wrong?" Bram joked. I opened my eyes and found him looking at me as if he wanted to rememorize my face."So,so wrong," I agreed, reaching up to finger another new cut he'd acquired on his hairline. The skin along his right cheek was lightly singed. He was still the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."No, it's all right, Samedi," I heard Dad chuckling. "It's all right.”

“Seriously,let me talk to her when she wakes up. Girl-to-girl.""No offense, Chas, but you'd scare the crap out of her.""Want to say that to my face, Coalhouse?""What's left of it.”

“Well, Dr. Elpinoy will never admit it, but he suffers from performance anxiety-""Oh, shut up, you old cad," Elpinoy said, finally uncrossing his arms.”