“Blake smiled radiantly. ʺMay I call you Vasilisa?ʺʺYou can call me Lissa.ʺʺYou can also,ʺ added Christian, ʺlet go of her hand now.”

“This," Adrian said grandly, "is Blake Lazar.""It's nice to meet you," she said.Blake smile radiantly. "May I call you Vasilisa?""You can call me Lissa.""You can also," added Christian, "let go of her hand now.”

“Okay, you got me. The screenwriter is a vampire. Now go to your own desk and call Mimi so she can call me and I can get my day started”

“ʺWhere is it?ʺ I asked.ʺLexington, Kentucky.ʺʺOh for Godʹs sake,ʺ I moaned. ʺWhy not the Bahamas? Or the Corn Palace?ʺDimitri tried to hide a smile. It might have been at my expense, but if Iʹd lightened his mood, I was grateful. ʺIf we leave right now, we can reach him before morning.ʺI glanced around. ʺTough choice. Leave all this for electricity and plumbing?ʺNow Sydney grinned. ʺAnd no more marriage proposals.ʺʺAnd weʹll probably have to fight Strigoi,ʺ added Dimitri.I jumped to my feet. ʺHow soon can we go?ʺ”

“Iʹve seen you too. Ozera. Crispin, right?ʺʺChristian,ʺ corrected Lissa.ʺRight.ʺ....ʺSo what brings you and Christopher here?ʺ asked Blake. He finished a glass of something amber colored and set it down beside the new drink.ʺChristian,ʺ said Christian.....Blake gave her puppy-dog eyes. ʺBut you just got here! I was hoping we could get to know each other.ʺ It went without saying what he meant by that. ʺOh. And Kreskin too.”

“Tell me something, Raphael?" He was already turning, heading to the door. "What is it you'd like to know, Guild Hunter?"She hid her smile at his slip. "What do I call you? Husband? Mate? Boyfriend?"Stopping with his hand on the doorknob, he shot her an inscrutable look. "You can call me 'Master'.”