“Ugh. A club for Prodigium? That conjured up images of way more velvet and dry ice and angst than I was up for.”

“I had been caught with one of Prodigium's greatest enemies. Something told me that punishment would be a lot worse than writing a thousand words on some obscure topic.”

“I closed my eyes and took more of those deep breaths Dad was so fond of, thinking that it was no wonder Prodigium were always getting their asses handed to them by humans. I mean, every time I had to do an intense spell, there was all this focusing, and relaxing, and picturing, and breathing...It wasn't exactly the most effective battle strategy against something like The Eye.I should've known better than to think about The Eye,though. As soon as the name popped into my head, my control shattered.And so did the terra-cotta pot.Black soil rained down on my feet, and the purple flower drooped even further. I could have sworn it actually bobbed accusingly at me. "Ugh," I groaned, as Cal quickly scooped the jagged pot out of my hands. "Sorry,but I warned you I was destructo-girl.”

“If I cried any more tonight, I'd probably turn into a dried-out husk.”

“...Highly secretive, L'Occhio di Dio is an elite group of assassins with only one goal - the total destruction of all Prodigium."Well, that's nice," I murmured to myself.”

“Now.Go all the way into the pond.""Um...how,exactly?"I was afraid she was going to make me hop out into the water until it was over my head, an image too mortifying to even contemplate. Cal stepped forward, hopefully to come to my rescue."I could toss her off the pier, Ms. Vanderlyden."Or not."Good," the Vandy said with a brisk nod, like that had been her plan all along. Then Cal leaned down and swept me into his arms.There were more giggles, and even a few sighs. I knew most girls would give up a vital organ for Cal to hold them, but my face flamed red. I wasn't sure this was any less embarrassing than flopping out into the pond on my own.”

“This isn't just about me," he said. "You're supposed to be head of the Council one day. Prodigium have to trust you, and that's never going to happen if you have one of them in your bed."A combination of anger and embarrassment rushed through me, burning my cheeks. "Okay, first of all, no one is 'in my bed.' Second, Archer has saved my life more than once. He's not what you think he is.”