“He was like a shooting star you tried to catch with your hands. She would only get burned.”

“Popularity was fickle and elusive, like trying to catch fireflies in a jar. You were either born with it or relegated to wallflower status according to your mysterious and unknowable workings of the universe.”

“I'm proud of you, Bliss," he said."Michael's sword released the souls that were trapped in your blood. You freed them. You freed me.""But now I'm never going to see you again, am I?" she asked.Dylan smiled. "It's unlikely. But I never say never.'"I wish you wouldn't go. I'll miss you so much," Bliss said."I'll miss you too."Dylan put his hand up, and so did Bliss. But this time, instead of touching air, she felt his warm hand grasping her cold one. She looked at Allegra. Somehow, she knew her mother was making this happen. Dylan leaned down, and she could feel his lips, soft and inviting, gently kissing hers. Then Dylan was gone. But Bliss did not feel anguished. She felt at peace. Dylan was not broken and incomplete anymore. He was whole.”

“You've won," Jack said softly. He looked at Mimi with such fiery hatred that she almost cowered at his words. But she was no weakling. She was Azrael, and Azrael did not cower, not even to Abbadon."I've won nothing," Mimi replied coldly. "Please remember that almost all of the Elders are dead, that theDark Prince is ascendant, and what is left of the Conclave is being led by a broken man who used to be the strongest of us all. And yet all you seem to care about, my darling, is that you no longer get to play with your little love toy."Instead of answering her, Jack flew across the room and slapped her hard across the face, sending hercrashing to the floor. But before he could wield another blow, Mimi leaped up and slammed him against the window, knocking him completely out of breath."Is this what you want?" she hissed as she lifted him up by his shirt collar, his face turning a ghastly shade of red."Don't let me destroy you," he sneered."Just try, my sweet."Jack twisted out of her grasp and flipped her over, kicking her down the length of the room. She sprung up with her hands clenched, her nails sharp as claws, and fangs bared. They met halfway in the air, and Jack put a hand on her throat and began to squeeze. But she scratched at his eyes and wrenched her body so that she was rolling on top of him, her sword at his throat, with the upper hand.SUBMIT. Mimi sent.NEVER.”

“The Code of the Vampires decreed that anyone who violated the Sacred Law was condemned to death, the blood burning. Charles had refused to subject Allegra to the sentence. But Mimi was a different matter. Mimi walked out of the church, knowing that if she ever saw Jack again, she would have to kill him.”

“She really did trust Eliza. People made mistakes. She understood that now. And as Happy as she was to be with Ryan again, her friendship with Eliza was just as important. You only met a few kindred spirits in your life, and you had to hold on to the ones you were lucky enough to find.”

“Bet you can't even name one romantic movie you like," she teased.She felt smug when a few minutes went by and Oliver was still unable to name one romantic movie he could profess to enjoy.The Empire Strikes Back," Oliver finally declared, tapping his horn at a Prius that wandered over the line.The Empire Strikes Back? The Star Wars movie? That's not romantic!" Schuyler huffed, fiddling with the air conditioner controls.Au contraire, my dear, it's very romantic. The last scene, you know, when they're about to put Han in that freezing cryogenic chamber or whatever? Remember?"Schuyler mmm-hmmmed.And Leia leans over the ledge and says, 'I love you.'"That's cheesy, not romatic," Schuyler argued, although she did like that part.Let me explain. What's romantic is what Han says back. Remember what he says to her? After she says 'I love you'?"Schuyler grinned. Maybe Oliver had a point. "Han says, 'I know.'"Exactly," Oliver tapped the wheel. "He doesn't have to say anything so trite as 'I love you." Because that's already understood. And that's romantic.”