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No, But ..." But I Had Felt Something From Another Person. Someone Who Spent Time With Alec. The Last Card In My Head Flipped Over. "i Know Who It Is. It's Him. That Guy." "of Course," Said Carter Dryly. "i Knew It Was That Guy. It's Always That Guy.

-Richelle Mead

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No, But ..." But

Richelle Mead

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No, But ..." But I Had Felt Something From Another Person. Someone Who Spent Time With Alec. The Last Card In My Head Flipped Over. "i Know Who It Is. It's Him. That Guy." "of Course," Said Carter Dryly. "i Knew It Was That Guy. It's Always That Guy.

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As Long As We’re Together, That’s How We’ll Be. No Trembling. No Faltering. We’re Unstoppable.

He Tilted His Head To The Side, Still Watching Me In That Same, Disconcerting Way. “some Things Are True, Drunk Or Sober. You Should Know That. You Deal In Facts All The Time.” “yeah, But This Isn’t—” I Couldn’t Argue With Him Looking At Me Like That. “i Have To Go. Wait… You Didn’t Take The Cross.” I Held It Out To Him. He Shook His Head. “keep It. I Think I’ve Got Something Else To Help Center My Life.

We Can Be Together, Rose. Soon. We're Almost There. And Nothing Will Ever Keep Us Apart.

Lucky Charms?” I Asked. “magically Delicious,” He Explained. “requisite For Any Sort Of Building Project.” I Shook My Head, Still Amazed At How He Had Managed To Weasel His Way Over Here. “this Isn’t A Date.” He Cut Me A Scandalized Look. "obviously. I’d Bring Count Chocula For That.

The Only Thing Better Than Imagining Dimitri Carrying Me In His Arms Was Imagining Him Shirtless While Carrying Me In His Arms.

I Saw Something In His Pretty Green Eyes That I Had Never Seen Before: Anger. They Were Like Emerald Fire

He Almosted Smiled. "there You Go Again. Why? Why Do Yo Keep Helping Me?" There Were A Million Answers On My Lips, Everything From It's The Right Thing To Do To I Don't Know. Instead, I Said, "because I Want To.

I Couldn't Recall The Last Time I'd Seen That Much Of Him On Display. It Was Wonderful And Frightening On The Same Time. I Then Said The Stupidest Thing Possible. "you're Not Scared Of Anything." "i'm Scared Of A Lot Of Things. I Was Scared For You" He Released Me, And I Stepped Back. There Was Still Passion And Worry Written All Over Him. "i'm Not Perfect, I'm Not Invulnerable.

Sage.” He Laughed. “i’m Into Anything, So Long As You’re With Me.

Rose, Do You Think I'd Do Anything That Would Hurt You.- Dimitri To Rose

I'm Getting Better At Avoiding This, But When Something Sets Me Off, I Tend To Punch First And Then Find Out Who I Actually His Later.

Rose Is In Red, But Never In Blue, Sharp As A Thorn, Fights Like One Too.

We're Going On A, Um, Windmill Tour Later This Week." If I'd Wanted To Shut Them All Up, I'd Definitely Succeeded. They All Looked Stunned. Adrian Spoke First. "i'm Going To Assume That Means He's Flying You To Amsterdam On His Private Jet. If So, I'd Like To Come Along. But Not For The Windmills.

The Best Jury Of Your Peers That You’ll Ever Find Is…well, You. Only You Know What You’re Capable Of And What You Want To Be.

If She Just Wanted To Come Home At Night To Eye Candy With Good Hair, I Could Probably Be That Reasonably Well.

His Eyes, I’d Long Since Discovered, Could Be As Eloquent And Expressive As His Pen. The Messages They Sent Me Now Hardly Seemed Decent For A Public Setting.

I Don't Care If You Say We Can't Be Together. I Don't Care If You Think I'm The Most Evil, Unnatural Creature Walking On Earth. You Can Think Whatever You Want, Go Whatever You Want. I'm Going To Just Go On Loving You, Even If It's Hopeless.

From Behind Lissa, I Heard Christian Say, "worst. Timing. Ever." Adrian Studied Lissa And Then Looked At Christain Sprawling On The Bed On The Far Side Of The Suite. "huh," Adrian Said, Letting Himself In. "so That's How You're Going To Fix The Family Problem. Little Dragomirs. Good Idea." Christian Sat Up And Strolled Toward Them. "yeah, That's Exactly It. You're Interrupting Official Council Business.

Family Problems

Don't Beat Yourself Up Over What You Could Have Or Should Have Done. The Past Is Gone. Move On To The Future.

You See Something You Like?" I Asked, Echoing Something I'd Said To Him Ling Ago, When He'd Caught Me In A Compromising Position At School. "lots," He Said. -rose (roza) To Dimitri

Sometimes You Wake Up From A Dream. Sometimes You Wake Up In A Dream. And Sometimes, Every Once In A While, You Wake Up In Someone Else's Dream.

Okay, God, I Thought. Get Me Out Of This And I’ll Stop My Half-assed Church-going Ways. You Got Me Past A Pack Of Strigoi Tonight. I Mean, Trapping That One Between The Doors Really Shouldn't Have Worked, So Clearly You're On Board. Let Me Get Out Of Here, And I’ll...i Don’t Know. Donate Adrian’s Money To The Poor. Get Baptized. Join A Convent. Well, No. Not That Last One.

Please Don’t Get Sentimental,” Said Jerome. “it’s Nauseating.

Dimitri. I Hadn't Known He Was Here. His Eyes Were On Me Too,dark And Endless. Only I Couldn't Read What He Was Feeling. His Face Betrayed Nothing, But There Was Something In His Eyes...something Intense And Intimidating. The Image Of Him Ready To Take Down That Group Of Guardians Flashed Through My Mind,and Something Told Me That If I Asked,he Would Fight His Way To Me Through This Courtroom And Do Everything In His Power To Rescue Me From It.

This Is A Great Idea,” Said Trey. “you Kids Should Totaly Go See That Play. Make A Whole Day Of It. Grab Some Dinner And Hang Out At The Library Or Whatever It Is You Do For Fun.

I Decided Then That If The Two People I Loved Most Were Safe, I Could Leave This World. The Dead Could Finally Have Me. And Iʹd Fulfilled My Purpose, Right? To Protect? Iʹd Done It. Iʹd Saved Lissa, Just Like Iʹd Sworn Iʹd Always Do. I Was Dying In Battle. No Appointment Books For Me.

Maybe You're Graduating From Fireballs To Lightning Bolts," Adrian Suggested. "i Bet It'd Be A Lot Like Throwing Ninja Stars. Except, Well, You Could Incinerate People.

You’re On The Verge Of Getting Your Soul And Your Life Back And He’s Still What Determines Your Happiness ? You Don’t Need A Relationship To Be Happy, Georgina.

There Was A Look Of Woe On His Face That Was Almost Comical. Raids, Bullets, Criminals...no Problem. A Missing Duster? Crisis.

Seth Told Us Good Night And Left. I Watched Him Go Wistfully. “anyone Else Here Feel Like Swooning?

I Also Had To Come Tonight To Apologize. If You Need To Go To Mexico To Finish This Process Off, Then I Understand. I Was Wrong To Criticize You For It Or Even Imply That I Had Some Kind Of Say In It. One Of The Greatest Things About You Is That In The End, You Always Make Smart Decisions. Can’t Always Say The Same For Myself. Whatever You Need To Do, I’ll Support You.

Things On The Essential List: Vodka, Nine Inch Nails, A Steady Supply Of Mortal Men, And An All-purpose Bitchy Attitude.

I Didn’t Get Her Cutting At All. She’d Done It Sporadically, Ever Since The Accident And It Scared Me Each Time. She'd Try To Explain It To Me, How She Didn't Want To Die—she Just Needed To Get It Out Somehow. She Felt So Much Emotionally, She Would Say, That A Physical Outlet—physical Pain—was The Only Way To Make The Internal Pain Go Away. It Was The Only Way She Could Control It.

I’m A Succubus.” He Shook His Head. “no, You Aren’t.” “yes, I Am.” “you Aren’t.” I Was A Bit Surprised To Be Having This Conversation. “i Am Too.” “no. Succubi Are Flame-eyed And Bat-winged. Everyone Knows That. They Don’t Wear Jeans And Sweaters.

There's A Guy Chasing Me!" I Called As I Headed Out The Door.

Besides, I Could Hardly Complain To The Administration That I Was Being Forced To Learn Magic.

It's Not My Fault So Much As My Genius.

The Incident With Dawn Hadn't Been One Of My Finer Moments. I Honestly Hadn't Expected To Break Any Bones When I Shoved Her Into A Tree. Still, The Incident Had Given Me A Dangerous Reputation. The Story Had Gained Legendary Status, And I Liked To Imagine That It Was Still Being Told Around Campfires Late At Night. Judging By The Look On The Girl's Face, It Was.

I'm Always At Least Ten Minutes Early.

Now Get Some Clothes On Before The Women Around Here Are Driven Into A Frenzy." He Gave Me A Mournful Look. "i'm Afraid That'll Happen With Or Without Clothes, My Dear.

But I Couldn't Help Myself, Couldn't Help The Way I Felt As I Recalled The Bliss And Rush Of A Vampire's Bite.

What Were You Thinking?" I Demanded Once We Were Moving To The Music. I Was Trying To Ignore His Hands. "do You Know How Much Trouble You May Have Gotten Me In?" Adrian Grinned. "nah. They All Feel Bad For You. You'll Achieve Martyrdom After Dancing With A Mean, Wicked Vampire. Job Security With The Alchemists.

We Cannot Road Trip To Paris.

When You've Got Everything You Need, Why Complicate It?

Dreams, Dreams. I Walk Them; I Live Them. I Delude Myself With Them. It's A Wonder I Can Spot Reality Anymore.

If Someone Had Asked Who Could Stage The Best Intervention With A Crazy Woman Who Had Formerly Been An Undead Monster, Sydney Sage Would Have Been My Last Guess.

Hey, Volusian, You Haven't Been Checking Me Out, Have You?" He Gave Me His Trademark Bland Stare. "i Assure You, Mistress, The Only Allure Your Bare Flesh Has For Me Is To Remind Me How Easy It Will Be To Slice Open." I Laughed. If Not For The Fact He Was Actually Serious, He'd Be So Much Fun.

It Turns Out Dimitri Had A Friend, Who Had A Friend, And Despite The Best Security In The Moroi World, We Managed To Get Into The Court's Prison Facilities.

Most Good Things Come With The Risk Of Something Bad.

Sometimes Talking To You Is Like Talking To Myself: Pretty Damned Annoying.

Anyone Who Takes A Hit For Adrian Ivashkov Deserves Some Credit.

‎keep Your Love, I Have No Use For It Anymore.

Is Adrian Here?” “who?” “adrian. Tall. Brown Hair. Green Eyes.” She Frowned. “do You Mean Jet?” “i … I’m Not Sure. Does He Smoke Like A Chimney?” The Girl Nodded Sagely. “yup. You Must Mean Jet.

Maybe You Don't Need Beauty Sleep, But Some Of Us Aren't So Lucky.

How Do You Know It Was The Blighted Pile? Did You Recognize Maiwenn’s Gift?” “no, But There Was A Marble Bust Of Dorian In There, Which I Figured Must Have Been His Kingdom’s ‘humble’ Gift.

The Ghost Of A Smile Flickered Across His Lips. ‘you’re Always The Voice Of Reason. Just Try Listening To Yourself Once In A While.

Do You Love Him?" There Were Only A Few People In The World Who Could Ask Me Such Insanely Personal Questions Without Getting Punched. Dimitri Was One Of Them.

Personal Question

I've Heard A Lot About You, Rose. Don't Worry. It Was All Good." "no, It Wasn't.

No One Had Ever Called Me Unnatural Before, Except For The Time I Put Ketchup On A Taco. But Seriously, We'd Been Out Of Salsa, So What Else Was I Supposed To Do?

I Loved You!” He Yelled. He Jumped Up Out Of His Chair So Quickly I Never Saw It Coming. “i Loved You, And You Destroyed Me. You Took My Heart And Ripped It Up. You Might As Well Have Staked Me!” The Change In His Features Also Caught Me By Surprise. His Voice Filled The Room. So Much Grief, So Much Anger. So Unlike The Usual Adrian. He Strode Toward Me, Hand Clasped Over His Chest. “i. Loved. You. And You Used Me The Whole Time.

I Figured I Could Read More Than Five Pages Tonight Since I'd Been Deprived For The Last Couple Of Days. When I Finished The Fifteenth, I Discovered I Was Three Pages From The Next Chapter. Might As Well End With A Clean Break. After I Was Done, I Sighed And Leaned Back, Feeling Decadent And Spent. Pure Bliss. Books Were A Lot Less Messy Than Orgasms.

If Your Eyes Weren't Open, You Wouldn't Know The Difference Between Dreaming And Waking.

Vladimir Did Great Things—so Could She. Besides, They Come First, Right?" "not Always." I Stared. I'd Had They Come First Drilled Into Me Since I Was A Child. It Was What All Guardians Believed. Only The Dhampirs Who'd Run Away From Their Duty Didn't Subscribe To That. What He Said Was Almost Like Treason. "sometimes, Rose, You Have To Know When To Put Yourself First.

Sure," Said Adrian. "i Bet Going In There And Kicking Down The Door Will Change Their Minds. Take Rose With You, And You Guys'll Make A Really Good Impression.

ʺthings Are Going To Get Worse Before They Get Better, Arenʹt They?ʺ

Guilt Was Its Own Prison.

Being With Him After So Long, After Everything We'd Endured...it Was Like Coming Home.

Bringing Children Into It Was Just Low, I Decided. At Least Heʹd Left Puppies Out.

I Wanted To Bring Lissa Back, And I Wanted To Return To Adrian's Arms Again, Return To His Lips And All This Life... "hathaway! Good God, Do I Have To Hose You Down?

I Think It’s More Like A Shirt That Says, ‘i’m Going To Have To End This Date Early So I Can Go Prepare My Power Point Presentation

He Stepped Forward And Punched Dorian In The Face, Hard Enough That I Heard A Thwack. "ow," Moaned Dorian, Wincing From The Pain. "my Greatest Asset.

We Were Going To Kill Ourselves In Trying To Kill Each Other.

Dimitri Belikov

I'm Really Not Good With Impulse Control.

Impulse Control

I Didn’t Care About Anything Except Her And The Way Touching Her Drove Me Wild, Even As Her Calm And Steady Presence Soothed The Storms That Raged Within Me.

Carter Leaned Toward Me And Brushed The Hair Away From The Side Of My Face. "don't Look Down Then," He Whispered.

Fiery And Sweet, All At The Same Time. A Flame In The Dark, Lighting My Way.

I'm Just Confused. I Can't Read Your Signals. One Moment You're Hot, The Next You're Cold. You Tell Me You Want Me, You Tell Me You Don't. If You Picked One, That'd Be Fine, But You Keep Making Me Think One Thing And Then You End Up Going In A Completely Different Direction. Not Just Now—all The Time.

Goodbye. Thanks For Your Help... I... I'll Miss You. -rose To Mason

He Shook His Head In Mock Sympathy. "i Tell You, Sage. Sometimes I Think I Am The One Who Needs To Take Out The Restraining Order On You.

Well, No One Treats Me Like A Full-fledged Royal, Said Lissa, Turning Back To The Dresses. No Reason To Act Like One Now. Show Me Your Straps And Short-sleeves.

I Reached Into My Pocket And Triumphantly Flashed The Cr-v Keys Iʹd Swiped When Weʹd Come Back Inside. ʺthe Driver,ʺ I Said. I Didnʹt Get To Drive.

Sydney, I'm So Happy To See You Again. If There's Anything I Can Do For You, Please Let Me Know. And You Must Be Neil." "your Majesty." Neil Swept Her A Bow So Low That His Forehead Touched The Ground. Above Him, Adrian Rolled His Eyes. "easy There, Lancelot," Adrian Said. "i Don't Think Bowing Is Required When She's In Jeans And Bunny Slippers.

The Book's Always Better Than The Movie.

The Answer Came To Me Before I'd Even Finished Asking Myself The Question. I Couldn't Be Mason's Girlfriend Because When I Imagined Someone Holding Me And Whispering Dirty Things In My Ear, He Had A Russian Accent.

Happy Birthday." Adrian Came To A Sudden Halt. The Words Were Soft And Small, Spoken Tentatively, But Easily Discerned By Vampire Ears. Slowly, He Turned Around And Found Jill Mastrano Standing Shyly Before Him.

My Muse Is An Ungrateful Harlot Who’s Abandoned Me To Actually Come Up With My Own Plots.

(men Without Ambition Are Boring) And That Attitude, Mistress, Is Why The Females Of Your Kind Continue To Struggle For Equality. And Why They Continue To Fail.

Seth Laughed When He Saw Me. “hey,” I Said, Poking Him With My Foot, “be Nice.” “i Think This Is The First Time I’ve Ever Seen You Look Anything Less Than…” He Paused, Playing With Word Choice. “well-planned.” “why, You Silver-tongued Romantic Devil. That Is The Look I Usually Go For. Other Women Go For Sexy Or Chic Or Beautiful. But Me? Well-planned All The Way.” “you Know What I Mean. Besides, Unplanned Isn’t A Bad Look For You. Not Bad At All.” His Voice Sounded Deliciously Low And Dangerous, And Something Ignited Between Us As We Held Each Other’s Eyes.

Yes, Roza. I Did Want You. I Still Do. I Wish... We Could Be Together. -dimitri To Rose On Their Relationship

I Unfolded The Note, And It Took Me A Few Seconds To Decipher Adrian’s Writing. If He Did Write Me A Dating Proposal, I Really Hoped He Would Type It.

Stop Bitching And Try Again.

Avery Worries About Her, Too, So Lissa's In Good Hands. Avery's Pretty Amazing." I Gave Him A Scathing Look. "amazing? Do You Like Her Or Something?" I Hadn't Forgotten Avery's Comment About Leaving The Door Unlocked For Him. "of Course I Like Her. She's A Great Person." "no, I Mean Like. Not Like." "oh, I See," He Said, Rolling His Eyes. "we're Dealing With Elementary School Definitions Of 'like'.

We Take What What We Can Get.

I Don't Know. This College Would Probably Have The Same Problem The Last One Did." I Frowned. "what's That?" "homework." "adrian," Growled His Father. "it's Okay," Said Adrian Breezily. He Rested His Arm Casually On The Table. "i Don't Really Need A Job Or Extra Money. After Rose And I Get Married, The Kids And I'll Just Live Off Of Her Guardian Paycheck.

So,” I Said At Last, Staring At My Hands. “how’s, Uh, Your Car?” “i Left It Out On The Street. Figured It’ll Be Fine There While I’m Gone.

Once When I Was Ninth Grade I Had To Write A Paper On A Poem. One Of The Lines Was"if Your Eyes Weren't Open You Wouldn't Know The Difference Between Dreaming And Waking' It Hadn't Meant Meant Much To Me At The Time. After All There'd Been A Guy In The Class That I Liked So How Could I Be Expected To Pay Attention To Literary Analysis? Now Three Year Later I Understand The Poem Perfectly.

I Knew You Were A Badass," Continued Adrian. "but I Didn't Realize Just How Much Until I Saw You Dropping Guardians Out There." "does That Mean You're Going To Be Nicer To Me?" I Teased. "i'm Already Nice To You," He Said Loftily. "do You Know How Badly I Want A Cigarette Right Now? But No. I Manfully Suffer Through Nicotine Withdrawal—all For You.

The Future Is Always Changing. If We Had No Choices, There'd Be No Point In Living.

Why Not The Bahamas? Or The Corn Palace?

I Left The Clinic In A Daze That Had Nothing To Do With My Head Injury. Clear Up In A Week Or So? How Could Dr. Olendzki Speak So Lightly About This? I Was Going To Look Like A Mutant For Christmas And Most Of The Ski Trip. I Had A Black Eye. A Freaking Black Eye. And My Mother Had Given It To Me.

You're Better Than This. Better Than Whatever It Is You're Going To Do Now.

Not Much Could Have Distracted Me From Coffee, But Hearing Julius Caesar Quoted At Spencer’s Certainly Did.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Wanting To Be With Someone,” I Said Diplomatically. Unless That Person Turns Your World Upside Down And Makes You Lose All Self-control.

What’s Wrong?” Asked Seth, Seeing My Frown. “that New Drummer. Alec. He Hit On Me Earlier, And Now He’s Moving In On Casey. I Think He’s One Of Those Guys Who Thinks Plying Girls With Liquor Is The Only Way To Get Laid.” “wait. I Thought I Was The Only Guy Who Knew That Secret.

He Thought There Was No Hope For Him. Me? I Can't Imagine A World Without Hope.

About Time," Christian Said. "lissa And Adrian Get The Market Share On Worrying About You, But They're Not The Only Ones. And Someone Needs To Put Adrian In His Place, You Know. I Can't Do It All The Time." "thanks. It Kills Me To Say This, But I Missed You Too. No One's Sarcasm Compares To Yours In Russia.

What Do You Mean It Wasn't Anything? Didn't The Earth Move Or The Planets Align Or Something? -rose To Lissa On Sleeping With Aaron

They're True," I Replied Defiantly. "i Came Here To Kill You. And If I Can't Do That, Then I'd Rather Die." "you Failed, You Know. On The Street." "yeah. I Kind Of Figured That Out When I Woke Up Here.

Itʹs Not Just The Dress Or The Hair. Itʹs You. Youʹre Beautiful. So Beautiful, It Hurts Me.ʺ

Roza." His Voice Had That Same Wonderful Lowness, The Same Accent . . . It Was All Just Colder. "you Forgot My First Lesson: Don’t Hesitate.

Just Friends, Just Friends. Standing There In The Bookstore, Watching Seth Walk Away, I Half Wondered How Anyone Could Still Use That Line. But I Knew Why, Of Course. It Was Used Because People Still Believed It. Or At Least They Wanted To.

See? There It Is Again. My Flame In The Dark.

Nothing He Said Could Change What I Think Of You. I've Had My Mind Made Up About You For A Long Time... And It's All Good.

And Here I Thought You Had A Soft Spot For Reckless Young Girls.

Rosemarie You Are Out Of Line

A Strange, Warm Feeling Swirled In My Chest, And For A Brief Moment, When I Looked At Him, I Saw...safety

Rose, Do You Think I'd Do Anything That Would Hurt You.- Dimitri To Rose

Eddie Was Intensely Dedicated Too. Adrian Sometimes Called Him Mini-dimitri

He'd Written Me Up A Proposal Of Why Dating Him Was A Sound Decision. It Had Included Things Like "i'll Give Up Cigarettes Unless I Really, Really Need One" And "i'll Unleash Romantic Surprises Every Week, Such As: An Impromptu Picnic, Roses, Or A Trip To Paris—but Not Actually Any Of Those Things Because Now They're Not Surprises.

You Made Your Own Jean Shorts...with A Butter Knife?

Don't Be Sorry You Loved Him. That's Part Of You, Part You Have To Let Go.

Vampire Academy

Bless You, Daugher Of Man," Carter Said, His Eyes Luminous And Almost Silver Now. He Leaned Down And Kissed My Forehead. I Closed My Eyes And Caught My Breath. His Lips Were Both Burning Hot And Icy Cold.

I’ve Seen All I Need To. I’m Going To Go Drink Now In A Futile Effort To Wipe Away The Memory Of This Debacle.

The Rage That Had Expolded Inside Me Diffused. I Didn't Know Where It Had Come From. I Had A Short Temper And Often Acted Impulsively,but This Had Been Intense And Ugly Even For Me. Weird.

Adrian, I'm On A Date. Why Are You Here? On My Car?

As He Looked At Me, He Seemed To Send A Message Of His Own: That He Would Still Fight For Me, That He Would Fight Until He Collapsed To Keep Them From Taking Me.

He Nodded Toward The Sub. "this Is Going To Be A Blow-off Day." I Dragged My Mind Away From Magical Intrigue. After Being Homeschooled For Most Of My Life, Some Parts Of The "normal" School World Was A Mystery. "what Does That Mean, Exactly." "usually Teacher Leave Subs A Lesson Plan, Telling Them What To Do. I Saw Ms. Terwilliger Left. It Said, 'distract Them.

Finn Crossed His Arms And Glared At Volusian. It Was Kind Of A Bold Move, Considering Finn Looked Like A Cartoon Character And Volusian Looked Like He Ate The Souls Of Small Children. For All I Knew, He Probably Did.

You'd Be Surprised. Besides, They Don't Even Send Royal Traitors To Prison, Rose. Everyone Knows That." I Scoffed. "are You Insane? Of Course They Do. What Else Do You Think They Do With Traitors? Set Them Free And Tell Them Not To Do It Again?" "no," Said Abe, Just Before He Turned Away. "they Execute Traitors.

What Was Love, Really? Flowers, Chocolate, And Poetry? Or Was It Something Else? Was It Being Able To Finish Someone's Jokes? Was It Having Absolute Faith That Someone Was There At Your Back? Was It Knowing Someone So Well That They Instantly Understood Why You Did The Things You Did—and Shared Those Same Beliefs?

Wasn’t That Kind Of The Basis Of Passion? I Didn’t Know That Either. The Only Thing I Knew For Sure Was That This Kiss Had Been A Lot Like The Last One. Nice, But It Didn’t Blow Me Away. My Heart Sank. There Was Something Wrong With Me. Everyone Was Always Going On About How Socially Inept I Was. Did It Extend To Romance As Well? Was I So Cold That I’d Spend My Life Never Feeling Anything?

Study's Overrated. Just Find Someone Smart To Copy Off. -adrian To Lissa

My Captivity With Dimitri. The Way His Mouth—so, So Warm, Despite His Cold Skin—had Kissed Mine. The Feel Of His Fangs Pressing Into My Neck And The Sweet Bliss That Followed... He Looked Exactly The Same Too, With That Chalky White Pallor And Red-ringed Eyes That So Conflicted With The Soft, Chin-length Brown Hair And Otherwise Gorgeous Lines Of His Face. He Even Had A Leather Duster On.

All This Time…ever Since I Sold My Soul, I’ve Been Clinging To This Idea That There Is Something Pure And Decent Out There. That There Was Something To Give Me Hope That Even If I Was A Lost Cause, At Least There Was Something Bright And Good In The World. But There Isn’t. If There Was, Seth Wouldn’t Have Fallen. Erik Wouldn’t Have Died. Andrea Mortensen Wouldn’t Be Dying.” -georgina To Carter

No, I Can Just Read You. Finally. I Can't Believe How Blind I Was. I Can't Believe I Never Noticed. Victor's Comment...he Was Right." She Glanced Off At The Sunset, Then Turned Her Gaze Back On Me. A Flash Of Anger, Both In Her Feelings And Her Eyes, Hit Me. "why Didn't You Tell Me?" She Cried. "why Didn't You Tell Me You Loved Dimitri?

See? Things Are Already Looking Promising.

Sorry, Ms. Terwilliger. I'm Flattered That You Think I'm Such An Upstanding Person, But I'm Already Caught Up In One Epic Battle Of Good Versus Evil. I Don't Need Another.

You Shook His Hand?" Adrian Asked Incredulously … “with All That Red-hot Passion, It’s A Wonder You Guys Can Stay Away From Each Other

We All Stared At The Scoreboard In Stunned Silence. Only Carter Was Able To Get Anything Out. "that," He Told Robert Exuberantly, "is How A Bird In The Hand Gets Up Before The Early Worm." "that Doesn't Make Any Sense," Said Roger. Carter Pointed At The Scoreboard. "neither Does That, But There You Have It.

I've Heard That The Soul Often Recognizes Truth When It Hears It, Even If The Mind Does Not.

I Know How You Guys Feel About Us. I'm Not Stupid, And Believe Me, I've Tried To Get You Out Of My Head. But There Isn't Enough Liquor Or Art Or Any Other Distraction In The World To Do It. I Had To Stop Going To Wolfe's Because It Was Too Hard Being That Close To You, Even If It Was All Just Pretend Fighting. I Couldn't Stand The Touching. It Was Agonizing Because It Meant Something To Me－and I Knew It Meant Nothing To You. I Kept Telling Myself To Stay Away Altogether, And Then I'd Find Excuses… Like The Car… Anything To Be Around You Again.

I’d Been Raised To Be Practical And Keep My Emotions In Check, But I Loved Cars. That Was One Of The Few Legacies I’d Picked Up From My Mom. She Was A Mechanic, And Some Of My Best Childhood Memories Were Of Working In The Garage With Her.

I Lifted The Lid And Found A Piece Of Bread And Some Water—and A Rat That Quickly Darted Off The Tray. Talk About Adding Insult To Injury.

Insult To Injury

How Is Angeline?” Asked Dimitri. “is She Improving?” Eddie And I Exchanged Glances. So Much For Avoiding Her Indiscretions. “improving How Exactly?” I Asked. “in Combat, In Following The Dress Code, Or In Keeping Her Hands To Herself?” “or In Turning Off Caps-lock?” Added Eddie. “you Noticed That Too?” I Asked. “hard Not To,” He Said.

You Aren't Going To Go Crazy," I Said Firmly. "you're Stronger Than You Think. The Next Time You Feel That Way, Find Something To Focus On, To Remind You Of Who Are." "like What? Got Some Magic Object In Mind?" "doesn't Have To Be Magic," I Said. I Racked My Brain. "here." I Unfastened The Golden Cross Necklace. "this Has Always Been Good For Me. Maybe It'll Help You." I Set It In His Hand, But He Caught Hold Of Mine Before I Could Pull Back

Well, I Guess I Can Wait Two Weeks Then." "for What?" "to Ask Her Out

I Eyed Dimitri, Recalling A Shadow In My Periphery Back In The Ballroom. "you Followed When I Jumped In Front Of Lissa, Didn't You? Who Were You Going For? Me Or Her?" He Studied Me For Several Long Seconds. He Could Have Lied. He Could Have Given The Easy Answer By Saying He'd Intended To Push Both Of Us Out Of The Way-if That Was Even Possible, Which I Didn't Recall. But Dimitri Didn't Lie. "i Don't Know, Roza. I Don't Know.

Note Even Moroi Give Licenses To Infants, Sage.

Dimitri Was On A First Name Basis With One Of The Most Badass Guardians Around. Of Course, Dimitri Was Pretty Badass Himself, So I Shouldn’t Have Been Surprised.

Life, Unfortunately, Doesnʹt Seem To Care What We Want. Act Now While You Can Actually Stop It From Being A Disaster.

The Future Of Our Relationship Hinged On Advice From A Fifteen-year Old Girl, A Probably Untrue Story From A One-eyed Chihuahua Trainer, And Me Unromantically – Yet Skillfully – Kissing You On Top Of Silverware And China?

Rose: "if You'd Teach Me To Swear In Russian, I Might Have A New Appreciation For It."dimitri: "you Swear Too Much Already."rose: "i Just Want To Express Myself."dimitri: "oh, Roza… You Express Yourself More Than Anyone Else I Know."- Rose Hathaway & Dimitri Belikov (frostbite)

I, Had An Excellent Instructor. One That You Currently Have Locked Up. If You Want To Talk About Skills Going To Waste, Then Go Look In Your Own Jail.

She Has Very Strong Ideas About Family - Ideas That Probably Sound Kind Of Sexist To You. She Believes All Dhampirs Should Train And Put In Time As Guardians, But That The Women Should Eventually Return Home To Raise Their Children Together. But Not The Men? No, He Said Wryly. She Thinks Men Still Need To Stay Out There And Kill Strigoi.

I Know How Devastated You Must Be To Miss Me, But Leave A Message, And I'll Try To Ease Your Agony

Yeah, I Was At The Masquerade Of The Damned.

I Left Her There Crying As I Walked Toward The Gate. A Piece Of My Soul Had Died When Dimitri Had Fallen. Turning My Back On Her Now, I Felt Another Piece Die As Well. Soon There Wouldn't Be Anything Left Inside Me.

You Said You Were A Victim. That's Why...that's Why Ultimately, You And I Aren't Matched For Each Other. In Spite Of Everything That's Happened, I've Never Though Of Myself That Way. Being A Victim Means You're Powerless. That You Won't Take Action. Always...always I've Done Something To Fight For Myself...for Others. No Matter What.

How Do You Say Goodbye To Someone Who Isn't Exactly Gone.

However, He Also Trusted Me To Make My Own Decisions. Contradicting Me Or Telling Me What To Do Wasn't In His Nature - Even Though He Secretly May Have Wanted To.

Not True,” Said Adrian. “all Guys Mean The Same Thing When They Want To ‘get To Know A Girl Better.’ You’re A Wellbred Young Lady, So I Understand Why You’d Be Too Innocent To Understand. Good Thing You’ve Got Me Here To Interpret.

Dad Told Uncle Seth Not To Screw Things Up,” She Informed Me As We Washed Our Hands. “he Said Even If Uncle Seth Is Famous, Him Getting A Woman Like You Defies Belief.” I Laughed And Smoothed Down The Skirt Of My Dress. “i Don’t Know About That. I Don’t Think Your Dad Gives Your Uncle Enough Credit." Brandy Gave Me A Sage Look, Worthy Of Someone Much Older. “uncle Seth Spent Last Valentine’s Day At A Library.

I Have It On Good Authority That Victor's Going To Have Car Trouble. Also That Robert Really Likes Cheerios, So If You Want Some, You're Out Of Luck. He Doesn't Seem Like The Sharing Type.

I Looked Back And Forth At Them In Amazement. I Didn't Know If I Was Witnessing A Fight Or Foreplay. I Wasn't Thrilled About Either Option.

Wow." I Hadn't Thought Dimitri Could Be Any Cooler, But I Was Wrong. "you Beat Up Your Dad. I Mean, That's Really Horrible...what Happened. But, Wow. You Really Are A God." He Blinked. "what?" "uh, Nothing.

"what's Going On?" He Asked, Looking From Face To Face. "i Was Having A Good Dream." "i Need You," Said Lisa. "i Hear That From Women A Lot."

Rose: "i Was Testing Dorm Security. It Sucks." Dimitri: "you Must Be Freezing. Do You Want My Coat?" Rose: "i'm Fine. What Are You Doing Out Here? Are You Testing Security Too?" Dimitri: "i Am Security. This Is My Watch." Rose: "well, Good Work. I'm Glad I Was Able To Help Test Your Awesome Skills." - Rose Hathaway And Dimitri Belikov (shadow Kiss)

Ah, My Daughter,ʺ He Said. ʺeighteen, And Already Youʹve Been Accused Of Murder, Aided Felons, And Acquired A Death Count Higher Than Most Guardians Will Ever See.ʺ He Paused. ʺi Couldnʹt Be Prouder.

But The Humans Weren't What Made My Steps Falter As I Walked Through Grass That Had Turned Bright Green With Summer's Touch. It Was Dimitri. Always Dimitri. Dimitri, The Man I Loved. Dimitri, The Strigoi I Wanted To Save. Dimitri, The Monster I'd Most Likely Have To Kill. The Love We'd Shared Always Burned Within Me, No Matter How Often I Told Myself To Move On, No Matter How Much The World Did Think I'd Move On. He Was Always With Me, Always On My Mind, Always Making Me Question Myself.

That Memory Made A Lump Form In My Throat As I Remembered His Face, Serious And Gorgeous, Those Brown Eyes Intense And Passionate As He Spoke Up For Me And Convinced The Others Of My Value.

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.

When I Look Into His Eyes, I Could See Without A Doubt That He Loved Me More Than Anyone Else In The World, That I Was His Salvation, The Same Way That He Was Mine.

You Guys Are So Caught Up In Your Polished Images And Your Passive-aggressive Comments That No One Ever Comes Right Out And Says Anything. Well, I'm Going To.

Passive Aggressive

She Was Right About Something Else Too," Dimitri Said After A Long Pause.... "that I Do Still Love You.

It Was One Thing To Accept I Couldn't Have Dimitri. It Was Something Entirely Different To Realize Someone Else Could.

I Will Always Love You." "no You Won't. You'll Move On. So Will I.

I Will Always Love You

Couldn't Lissa Have Healed That Black Eye Away?" "its A Badge Of Honor. Makes Me Seem Manly.

You Were Wrong. She Really Is The New General In Town." I Smiled Back, Hoping He Wasn't Aware Of My Body's Reaction To Us Standing So Close. "maybe. But, It's Okay. You Can Still Be Colonel." He Arched An Eyebrow. "oh? Did You Demote Yourself? Colonel's Right Below General. What's That Make You?" I Reached Into My Pocket And Triumphantly Flashed The Cr-v Keys I'd Swiped When We'd Come Back Inside. "the Driver," I Said.

I Can't Believe You've Been Here All Day And Didn't Come Visit. ", Tatiana Said. "aw, I Figured You Had More Important Things To Do Than See Me, " Adrian Told Her. "besides, I Quit Smoking, So Now We Won't Be Able To Go Sneak Cigarettes Out Behind The Throne Room Together. " "adrian!" Chastised Nathan, Turning Bright Red. It Occurred To Me Then That I Could Have Based A Drinking Game Around How Many Times He Exclaimed His Son's Name Disapprovingly.

Plus, I Was About To Spend Six Weeks With Christian Ozera. He Was Sarcastic, Difficult, And Made Jokes About Everything. Actually, He Was A Lot Like Me. It Was Going To Be A Long Six Weeks.

Do You Go See Her?" "no," I Said, Refusing To Acknowledge That I'd Just Seen Lissa Last Night. "that's Not My Life Anymore." "right. Your Life Is All About Dangerous Vigilante Missions." "you Wouldn't Understand Anything That Isn't Drinking, Smoking, Or Womanizing." He Shook His Head. "you're The Only One I Want, Rose." "well, You Can Keep Feeling That Way, But You're Going To Have To Keep Waiting." "much Longer?" He Asked Me. "i Don't Know." Hope Blossomed On Adrian's Face. "that's The Most Optimistic Thing You've Told Me So Far.

The Love We'd Shared Always Burned Within Me, No Matter How Often I Told Myself To Move On, No Matter How Much The World Did Think I'd Moved On.

What Am I Supposed To Do With A Wool Coat? Especially Here In Palm Springs?” “sleep With It,” He Suggested. “think Of Me.

Boy Is He Pissed," Said Adrian. "do You Blame Him?" Asked Christian. "he Just Lost Memerbship In The Evil Mastermind Club. His Brilliant Plan Fell Apart, And Now His Daughter's Missing When He Thought She Was Somewhere Safe." Adrian Stayed Pointedly Silent.

Worry About Staying Alive First. Then Worry About How You're Going To Live.

If You Touch Me, I Said Pleasantly, "i'll Provide You With The Ability To See If You Can Heal Yourself. Then We'd See How Bad Ass You Really Are."

I Won't Lie. Walking Into A Room And Seeing Your Girlfriend Reading A Baby-name Book Can Kind Of Make Your Heart Stop.

It Doesn't Matter. Take Eddie's Blood. Take Belikov's Blood. Take Your Own For All I Care. But If She Doesn't Want To Give Hers, Then That's All There Is To It. She Said No. This Conversation Is Done.

I Nodded. "yup. What I Did Was Tantamount To Treason In Their Eyes." "i Don't Know What 'tantamount' Means, But It Sounds Pretty Serious.

The Kind Of Kiss That Said, I Want To Consume Every Inch Of You And Hear You Scream My Name.

I Felt The Need To Clarify We Were There For The Self Defense Class, In Case He Also Taught About Dog Breeding Or Riding The High Seas.

Where Are The Dogs?" I Asked. "at Training," He Said. "i Have A Friend Who's An Expert Dog Trainer, And He's Giving Them Some Stealth Lessons. He Used To Work For A Local K-9 Unit." I Didn't Think It Was In The Chihuahua Genetic Code To Ever Be Stealthy.

Jill Was Tall And Slim, Like Most Moroi. With That Figure Came A Modest Chest. Angeline's Chest...was Not So Modest.

You Know, You Still Owe Me Pancakes. I Think I Could Go For…apple Cinnamon Ones Now. “ “apple Cinnamon? You Sure Are Demanding.” “it’s All Right. I Think You’re Man Enough For It.” “thetis, If I Actually Believed You Had Either Apples Or Cinnamon In Your Kitchen, I’d Make Them For You Right Now.” I Didn’t Answer. I Was Pretty Sure I Had Some Year-old Apple Jacks, But That Was About It.

So. Are You Guys Here To Convert Me Or Sell Me Siding?

Did You Just Use Juxtaposition In A Sentence?" "yes, Sage" He Said Patiently. "we Use It All The Time With Art, ... That, And I Know How To Use A Dictionary

I Wanted Him. I Arched My Back, Fully Aware Of How Vulnerable That Made Me And That I Was Giving Him An Invitation. He Accepted It And Laid Me Back Against The Table, Bringing His Body Down On Top Of Mine. That Crushing Kiss Of His Moved From My Mouth To The Nape Of My Neck. He Pushed Down The Edge Of My Dress And The Bra Strap Underneath, Exposing My Shoulder And Giving His Lips More Skin To Conquer.

I Steeled Myself For The Next Response. I Knew It Was Going To Be One Of The Zen Life Lessons. [...] Instead He Kissed Me.

I Don't Know, But I Think It's Going To Be Good.

I Loved You!" He Yelled. He Jumped Up Out Of His Chair So Quickly I Never Saw It Coming. "i Loved You, And You Destroyed Me. You Took My Heart And Ripped It Up.

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