“She was poison in a pretty bottle.”

“..."I can always stuff you back in the bottle and shove a tampon in the top instead of a stopper, and all the other Djinn will point and laugh-”

“Can we agree to a decent working rapport, here? Because I really don't have time for this, and I can always stuff you back in the bottle and shove a tampon in the top instead of a stopper, and all the other Djinn will point and laugh—”

“also,' Rodriguez finished, 'you looked totally hot on tv, and your sister looks pretty good naked. Now. Tell me about what really happened with Quinn.”

“You humans, always eating. I'll make you soup. You can eat it while you keep working." Myrnin set aside his book and walked into the back of the lab."Don't use the same beaker you used for poisons!" Claire yelled after him. He waved a pale hand. "I mean it!”

“I – talked to her. She understands. She won’t do anything stupid.” He didn’t look at Claire when he said that, and she wondered what kind of talking that might have been.Her mother had always said, when in doubt, ask.“Was it the kind of talk where you gave her something to live for? Like maybe, um, you?”“Did I – what the hell are you talking about?”“I just thought maybe you and her–”“Claire, Jesus!” Michael said. She’d actually made him flinch. Wow. That was new. “You think banging me is going to make her forget about charging out to commit cold-blooded vampire slaying? I don’t know what kind of standards you have on sex, but those are pretty high. Besides, whatever’s between me and Eve – well, it’s between me and Eve.” Until she tells me about it later, Claire thought.”

“He looked down at himself and laughed softly. ‘‘My dark side dresses better than I do.’’ He stood upand reached for clothes folded neatly on a table to the side as he loosened the tie on his robe. He hesitated, smiled, and raised hiseyebrows. ‘‘If you don’t mind, Claire . . . ?’’‘‘Oh. Sorry.’’ Claire turned her back. She didn’t like turning her back on him, even with the cell door locked. He was betterbehaved when he knew she was watching. She focused on the faint, distorted image of his reflection on the TV screen as he shedthe dressing gown and began to pull on his clothing. She couldn’t see much, except that he was very pale all over. Once she wassure his pants were up, she glanced behind her. He had his back to her, and she couldn’t help but compare him with the only otherman she’d really studied half-naked. Shane was broad, strong, solid. Myrnin looked fragile, but his muscles moved like cablesunder that pale skin—far stronger than Shane’s, she knew.Myrnin turned as he buttoned his shirt. ‘‘It’s been a while since a pretty girl looked at me with such interest,’’ he said. She lookedaway, feeling the blush work its heat up through her neck and onto her cheeks. ‘‘It’s all right, Claire. I’m not offended.”