“He squinted, as if he could shut out my damned, unreasonable request, then relaxed and opened his eyes again. "I'm an Aeolus, okay?""A what?" Kat asked."Like on a breast?" Scott looked at him in confusion. Kat buried her face in one of her hands."Like a windkeeper, you jackass.”

“What are they after?” Kat asked. “Hard to say,” Hale said; again, he eyed the room. “Who is that?” Macey asked. “The reason I wasn’t flirting with you,” Hale told her.”

“What?" He cut a grin at Kat when he saw the impressed look on her face. "Corporate espionage is my second greatest passion.'"With your first being..." Kat prompted."Gelato," Hale said, and turned back to the group.”

“Nicole put on a frowny face and leaned forward for maximum cleavage exposure. Nathaniel looked. Of course he looked. She practically was shaking her breasts in his face. If he wasn't careful, a wayward nipple was going to take out one of his eyes. Okay, so it would have been impossible for him not to notice. However, he didn't have to keep noticing. It was like his eyes had homing beacons on her boobs.”

“Kat turned back to Hale. "The Mary Poppins?""Seemed like a good idea at the time.""Oh. Yeah. Obviously. Just so we're clear, this master plan of yours...""Might have a couple kinks to work through," Hale admitted, then reached for her hand. As soon as he touched her, Kat knew there was no such thing as curses. People make and break their own fortunes-they are the masters of their own fate. And right then Kat wouldn't have changed a thing.She kissed him, quick and feather soft."What was that for?" he asked.Kat placed her fingers on his face and brought his forehead close to hers, touching as she whispered, "For luck.”

“Yes, of course. But ... how?"Kat felt her crew around her: Hamish's arm hung around Simon's shoulders; Gabrielle's delicate hands draped through the arms of Angus and Nick. Kat's own hand found Hale's, then, fingers interlacing, palms pressing together so tightly that Kat knew nothing could come between them. Nothing. She looked at him. No one."It's easy," Kat said, "when you don't have to do it alone.”