“Getting up from the table, shaking a little at her unraveling, Ari cuffed Charlie across the head. “Be nice.”“Tell him to be nice!”“I can’t,” she snorted, looking back over her shoulder at them. “If I did that he’d actually have to be nice… it would be like re-writing his entire personality.”Jai grunted. “Funny.”

“Do I get to choosewhat she commands you to do? Come on, let me, it’ll be fun.”Jai laughed humorlessly. “I said I don’t want her commanding me to do something asinine, kid.”Charlie’s grin disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced. “I told you not to call me, kid, Jinn boy. I’m what… two years younger than you,douchebag?”“Try five. And that’s only in physical years.”“What, you trying to say I’m not mature?”“Oh those socks you’re wearing definitely are. Have you heard of detergent? A shower? Hygiene?”“I shower, you militant, glorified fucking babysitter.”“Watch it, kid.”“Kid? I am this close to taking a swing at you, you overblown piece of-”“Oh for the love of God!” Ari cried, throwing her hands up, her head pounding. So much for their strained peace treaty. “Shut up. Shut up. Shutup!”Despite their matching glowers, both of them slammed their lips closed and glared at one another. Ari heaved a sigh of relief as she pulled achilled can of soda out of the refrigerator. At least the soda still felt nice sliding down her throat. Not the same as an ice cold Coke on a blazingsummer day but still nice. She took a refreshing swig and turned towards her male companions once again. Blasts of frost shot out from Jai’s eyesonly to be met by the simmering black heat of Charlie’s angry gaze. Rolling her eyes and biting back the guilt that she was somehow responsiblefor the animosity between the only two people she could count on right now, Ari spilled into the chair between them and Jai slowly sunk back downinto his.“So what will I command you?” she asked quietly, ignoring the way her fingers trembled as she played with the tab on her soda can.When she got no answer, she glanced up to see Jai’s face going red, the veins in his head throbbing.“Dude, what’s wrong?” Charlie asked quietly, looking at Ari in alarm. “Is he choking?”Ari’s heart flipped in her chest at the thought and she reached across the table to grab his arm. “Jai?”His eyes widened and he waved a large hand at his throat and mouth and then pointed at her.What the hell?!“Jesus Christ, he can’t talk?” Charlie asked incredulously. “Is this a joke?”

“[Jack] checked his watch, then returned to studying her back. damn if she didn't have a nice back, too - smooth, unblemished skin, nicely shaped vertebrae-He pulled himself up short. Nicely shaped vertebrae? Was he going insane?”

“He needs to tell me what he knows before he gets anything else from the Grahams."She folded her arms across her chest and gave him her best "you will do what I say" look. He only shrugged and kept drinking his coffee.Eva frowned at her. "Hija, you must be nice to Ranger Armstrong. His is a good man."Oliviva snorted. "I'll believe that when he treats me like a person instead of a pain in the ass.""You are a pain in the ass."At first she could hardly believe he'd said it, but then when it sank in, a chuckle burst out of her mouth. She didn't want to be amused by his smart mouth, but she was. "So are you. Now tell me what you know.”

“That's funny because if anyone actually did prove the existence of God we'd just tell him 'nice proof, Fraa Bly' and start believing in God.”

“Did your mom ever tell you, ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything’? She was right–and talking nicely also applies when you’re talking to yourself, even inside your head. (339)”