“That final look into those glinting crimson eyes – so many that all I saw were numerous flashes as they swiftly approached the prey, never one in the same place – confirmed my true fear; I was a goner to the world. My life slowly descended out of me when one of the vampires reached forward with an arm, stripping me of my soul. With just one snap of his wrist, my mind went blank.”

“I could hear the wind whistle behind me as someone swiftly moved away from me in a distance. I heard the autumn leaves crunch beneath his feet as the figure slowly retreated. I could have sworn that it was the red-eyed man from my past that couldn't live with just haunting my dreams - he haunted my life like a ghost lingering around me, his eyes burning like flames in every shadow he could find. But, I wondered, why me?”

“I had stay alive, and if that meant pretending that I had knowledge of my ex-boyfriend’s whereabouts that would likely lead to his death, then so be it. This was the closest I had gotten to finding Alex, and I wasn’t going to let go of this last shred of immortal in my life. Because if I did, I would likely convince myself that it was too good to be true; that it had only been a dream gone awry; and that the last three months were just a figment of my imagination.”

“It was the man I saw in my closet. And he was... smiling”

“He pulled my arm out to expose my bracelet. "When I carved this, my thoughts were on you, love. Your life is like this snake's coils. No matter how many turns it makes, you'll end up back where you belong. With me." His sapphire eyes held a promise. - Valek”

“You're right. And so was my snake."Snake?"He pulled my arm out to expose my bracelet. "When I carved this my thoughts were on you, love. Your life is like this snake's coils. No matter how many turns it makes, you'll end up back where you belong. With me.”

“Every single iceberg filled me with feelings of sadness and wonder. Not thoughts of sadness and wonder, mind you, because thoughts require a thinker, and my head was a balloon, incapable of thoughts. I didn't think about Dad, I didn't think about you, and, the big one, I didn't think about myself. The effect was like heroin (I think), and I wanted to stretch it out as long as possible.Even the simplest human interaction would send me crashing back to earthly thoughts. So I was the first one out in the morning, and the last one back. I only went kayaking, never stepped foot on the White Continent proper. I kept my head down, stayed in my room, and slept, but, mainly, I was. No racing heart, no flying thoughts.”