“Only one person," he whispered to her. "Only one thing.”

“Oh my God, not only is he older than the Grand Canyon, but he’s like the pope and the Fae King and the president of the United States all rolled up into one. To some ancient cultures he had been a god. He was going to hurt her so bad before he killed her so dead, and all she could think of was how hot his kiss had been in the dream and how delicate the touch of his finger was as it traced down her body.”

“My worst mistake ever. We should not talk about that penny any more, la la la.” He pulled her hands down. “We’re never going to stop talking about it. That penny is one of my favorite memories.” Her mouth dropped open. “Liar! You only liked what came afterward. You hated having your penny stolen.” “True,” he admitted. “But I loved the note you left me.”

“I have taken exactly what I wanted," he whispered in her ear. "I will have every part of you, until I live with you underneath your skin.”

“I have learned so many things over the long years," he whispered..."I've taken tribute from sovereigns and witnessed the end of empires. But you are my best teacher.”

“How was your day?” she whispered.“It went as expected,” he said. “Mostly. No one died. All of the sentinels went through to the next round, but then nobody believed anything different would occur. Graydon—” His gold eyes danced suddenly. “You know what a big motherfucker Graydon is. He turned into a gryphon, and then he just sat down and looked at his opponent, who forfeited. It was the fastest bout of the day.”

“I think you’re my hero,' she said. Only half-kidding.He stared at her, the picture of incredulity. 'Most people,' he said, 'think I am a very bad man.'She studied his eyes to try to find out if that bothered him. He didn’t seem bothered by them. He seemed discomfited by her. 'Well,' she said at last, 'maybe you’re a very good dragon.”