“Oh," he said to Kiyo, voice completely devoid of emotion. "I see. It's your turn again.”

“The only way to lose a kingdom is if your power drops or..well, if you're killed.""I'm sure Volusian would love to help with that."My minion walked near me, needing no horse to move swiftly. Upon hearing his name, he said, "I would perform the deed with great relish and much suffering on your part, mistress.""You can't put a price on that kind of loyalty," I told Kiyo.”

“Letter to Rose from Strigoi Dimitri. Delivered to Rose after her return from Russia and her quest to Kill Dimitir, which she thought she completed."You forgot another lesson: Never turn your back until you know your enemy is dead. Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again next time I see you- which will be soonLove, D.”

“You can," he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. "You're strong—you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.”

“At the same time, we both pulled back briefly still oh so close. Everything in the word rested on that moment."We can't..." He told me."I know," I agreed.Then his mouth was on mine again, and this time I knew there would be no turning back.”

“Everything‟s fine,” I said, with a tight smile. “Kiyo was just giving me his latest explanation about how my son is a terror to be feared.” Dorian scoffed. “Little Thundro? A terror? Hardly, unless perhaps we‟re discussing diapers.”

“He froze, and it was one of those rare moments when Adrian Ivashkov was caught totally and completely off guard. "Did you know," he said slowly, "that Victor Dashkov is sitting on your bed?" "Yeah," I said. "It was kind of a shock to us too.”