“Sullivan hung at my shoulder. "Is she a student?""No." I brushed her hair out of her face. "Fix her."He laughed, a little helplessly. "You have such faith in me.”

“Jason had to bury his face against her shoulder to keep from laughing out loud. She was just so damn cute. “Stop laughing at me! I’m a threat, damn it!” Jason pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “No, you’re my sweet little grasshopper.”

“Rena squinted at me, blowing a strand of her matte black hair out of her face, exasperated. 'You get good price for that. What you saving it for, tea with little Tsarevich Alexei? They shot him in 1918.' She took the dress out of the bag, shook it and hung it back up. 'Is fact.”

“But you're disappointed." He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "It's not possible for you to disappoint me.”

“Why?" Why wouldn't he let her go? Why did he make her stay?She felt the brush of his lips over her hair."Because I need you.""You don't know me.""I know." His finger under her chin lifted her face. "But I've waited centuries for the chance.”

“Four years of sitting in your room reading, and now you're out here with the common folk," I say. "What did inspire you to suddenly make the trip?""I would have come sooner," she says, brushing her hair out of her face. "You just never invited me.”