“The beast attempts a beautific look that could be mistaken for a bout of painful wind.”

“Oh, honey, of course it hurts! Beauty is pain. But you don't want to look like a troll, do you?”

“I feel a tug in the air. The magic. When I look over, Felicity has her eyes closed in concentration, and a faint smile curves those full lips. Suddenly, Lady Denby breaks wind with an enormous crackling sound. There is no hiding the shock and horror on her face as she realizes what she's done. She breaks wind again, and several women clear their throats and look away as if they can pretend no to notice the offense.”

“That's some moon""Stop talking about my ass, you beast.”

“What’s the difference between an undead and my last boyfriend? One is a soul-sucking beast from hell and the other is an undead.”

“No, instead it is the beastly Cecily Temple who answers me. Dead, dear Cecily, or as I affectionately refer to her in the privacy of my mind, She Who Inflicts Misery Simply by Breathing.”

“We don't look at each other anymore. Not really. Not since I pulled him from that opium den. Now when I look at him, I see the addict. And when he looks at me, he sees what he would rather not remember. I wish I could be his adored little girl again, sitting at his side.”