“My mother wasnʹt sleeping with anybody. She doesnʹt even sleep with my father.”

“Well, she was talking to me. That's enough to make anyone lose their temper. And I accused her of sleeping with my dad because he was the soundest evolutionary choice.”

“She didnʹt know if she could carry on by herself, but then, she realized that if this wasnʹt a dream—and dear God, did it feel real—there was no magic ʺstopʺ in real life. If she couldnʹt deal with loneliness in a dream, she never would be able to while waking.”

“Surely I must be a princess in an enchanted sleep. Any day now, this dream-no, nightmare would end, and I’d get my prince and happy ending.”

“Naptime,ʺ said Christian, leading her toward the bed.ʺI still need a shower.ʺʺSleep first. Shower later.ʺ He pulled back the covers. ʺIʹll sleep with you.ʺʺSleep or sleep?ʺ she asked dryly, sliding gratefully into bed.ʺReal sleep. You need it.ʺ He crawled in beside her, spooning against her and resting his face on her shoulder. ʺOf course, afterward, if you want to conduct any official Council business...ʺʺI swear, if you say ‘Little Dragomirs,ʹ you can sleep in the hall.”

“For a moment, I was captivated as I studied them side by side. My mother: the perfect picture of guardian excellence and decorum. My father: always capable of achieving his goals, no matter how twisted the means. Uneasily, I began to understand how I’d inherited my bizarre personality.”

“You did good Roza. Very good. Now sleep.”