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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)

-Richelle Mead

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Rose: "i Was Testing

Richelle Mead

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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)

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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.

You Know, Aunt Tasha Makes Jokes About How Youʹd Actually Be A Better Queen Than The Others, Except Sometimes . . . I Donʹt Think Sheʹs Joking.

Emerald Green Eyes Studied Us From A Face That Could Have Been Sculpted By One Of The Classical Artists I So Admired. Shocked, I Dismissed The Comparison As Soon As It Popped Into My Head. This Was A Vampire, After All. It Was Ridiculous To Admire Him The Way I Would Some Hot Human Guy.

Of Course I Can Climb It. I'm Practically A Progidy In Pe," I Pointed Out. "the Question Is, Can You, Mr Smoker?

Relax, Jailbait," Said Avery. "a Drunken Kiss Is Nothing Compared To A Drunken Fall. God Knows I've Kissed Plenty Of Guys Drunk." "and Yet, I Remain Unkissed Tonight," Mused Adrian.

Screw You," I Told Him In A Low Voice. "are You Offering?” "from What I've Heard, There Isn't Much To Screw," I Shot Back.

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.

Rose Hathaway: "was He Right?” Dimitri Belikov: "who?” Rose Hathaway: "victor…he Said It Couldn't Have Worked. The Necklace.” Dimitri Belikov: "what Do You Mean?” Rose Hathaway: "the Spell. Victor Said You Had To Want Me…to Care About Me…for It To Work. Did You? Did You Want Me?” Dimitri Belikov: "yes, Roza. I Did Want You. I Still Do. I Wish…we Could Be Together.” (vampire Academy)

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

Are We Going To New Orleans?" "no", She Said, Backing Out Of The Spot. "we're Going To West Virginia." "i Assume By 'west Virginia,' You Actually Mean 'hawaii,'" I Said. "or Some Place Equally Exciting.

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

Except, Now That I Don’t Have A Car, I Can’t Really Make Good On My Birthday Promise.” Sydney Thought About It For Several Moments. “well. I’ve Got A Car.” An Hour Later, I Vowed I’d Never Make Fun Of That Mazda Again.

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

Taking A Deep Breathe, I Made One Of The Hardest Decisions Of My Life. I Walked Away.

When You Say ‘old Friend,’ Are We Talking, Like...since The Ice Age?” “no. Of Course Not.” “oh.” “it’s Only Been About Four Hundred Years.” “ah. Yes. Only Four Hundred.” A Wry Expression Spread Over His Face. “being With You Is A Continual Experiment In Perspective. Among Other Things.

No, No. It's Always A Good Time For You To Call, Roza.

Was It Weird Having A Witch Grandma? Scary? Was She Always, Like, Threatening To Cast Spells If You Were Bad?" "most Of The Time She Just Threatened To Send Me To My Room." "that Doesn't Sound So Scary To Me." "that's Because You Haven't Met Her.

Yeah. Rose." Jill Sighed And Stared Vacantly Ahead. "she's All He Sees When He Closes His Eyes. Flashing Dark Eyes And A Body Full Of Fire And Energy. No Matter How Much He Tries To Forget Her, No Matter How Much He Drinks . . . She's Always There. He Can't Escape Her.

Come On,"he Said, Gesturing Toward The Exit. "let's Take A Walk." "where?" "it Doesn't Matter. We Just Need You Calmed Down Or You'll Be In No Shape To Fight." "yeah? Are You Afraid Of My Possibly Insane Dark Side Coming Out?" "no, I'm Afraid Of Your Normal Rose Hathaway Side Coming Out, The One That Isn't Afraid To Jump In Without Thinking When She Believes Something Is Right." I Gave Him A Dry Look. "is There Are A Difference?" "yes. The Second One Scares Me.

She Says You're Not Awake Until You're Actually Out Of Bed And Standing Up.

Morning Inspirational

Okay. Now You Have To Move Your Arms And Legs.” “i Know How To Make A Snow Angel.” “then Do It! Otherwise, You’re More Like A Chalk Outline At A Police Crime Scene.

‎she Didn't Understand What It Was Like To Be Filled With A Love So Strong That It Made Your Chest Ache—a Love You Could Only Feel And Not Express. Keeping Love Buried Was A Lot Like Keeping Anger Pent Up, I'd Learned. It Just Ate You Up Inside Until You Wanted To Scream Or Kick Something.

Hey, If You'd Wanted To Avoid 'this,' You Shouldn't Have Lured Me Last Night. Now It's Too Late. You Might As Well Avoid The Long, Drawn-out Pain And Get It Over With Quickly. Sort Of Like Taking Off A Band-aid. Or Cutting Off A Limb." "wow, Who Says There's No Romance Left In The World?

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

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

Abe Swept In, Resplendent In A Gray And Yellow Suit That Coordinated Bafflingly Well With Adrian's Paint Job.

And You Work For That Demon, Right? The One Who Looks Like Matthew Broderick?” “john Cusack,” I Corrected. “he Looks Like John Cusack.” “whatever.

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.

She Studied Him For A Few More Seconds. “you Look Too Pretty To Be Useful.” I Gasped In Spite Of Myself. Adrian Chuckled And Shook Her Hand. “truer Words Were Never Spoken,” He Said.

There Was No "me" In Alchemy. Well, Phonetically There Was, But That Wasn't The Point.

But Also... Well, You And I Will Both Be Lissa's Gaurdians Someday. I Need To Protect Her At All Cost. If A Pack Of Strogoi Come, I Need To Throw My Body Between Them And Her." "i Know That. Of Course That's What You Have To Do." The Black Sparkles Were Dancing In Front Of My Eyes Again. I Was Fading Out. "no. If I Let Myself Love You, I Won't Throw Myself In Front Of Her. I'll Throw Myself In Front Of You.

I've Lost Someone, Too; Someone I Loved. I Know How You Feel." - Does It Get Easier? "yes. But You'll Never Be The Same Again.

You Look Too Pretty To Be Useful." "truer Words Were Never Spoken.

She Stared At Me With Concern A Few Moments Longer And Then Relaxed A Little. "okay. But If You Need Anything—" "i Know, I Know. Call On The Love Phone.

Rose? Is That You?" I Peered Behind Him. Lissa. "what Are You Doing Here?" "what Are You Doing Here?" She Asked "ladies, Ladies" He Said Teasingly. "no Need To Fight Over Me." I Glared. "we're Not.

I Supposed If You Were Going To Make A Career Of Breaking Laws, You Might As Well Know Them.

Very Often The Things We Most Desire Come Only After Much Patience And Struggle.

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.

Can We Go Back To The Part About Moroi Girls Hanging Out In La?" Asked Adrian Hopefully. "can You Direct Me To Some Of The…oh, Let’s Say, More Open-minded Ones?

Adrian Suddenly Glanced Up At Me. Our Gazes Locked, And I Felt Like He Could Read My Mind. How Often Did He Think About That Kiss? And If He Really Was Crazy About Me, Did He Imagine More Than Just Kissing? Did He Fantasize About Me? What Kinds Of Things Did He Think About? His Lips On My Neck? His Hand On My Leg? And Was That Leg Bare . . . ?

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.

Aren't You Failing English?" I Asked. Angeline Flushed. "it's Not My Fault." "even I Know You Can't Write An Article On Wikipedia And Then Use It As A Source In Your Own Essay." Sydney Had Been Torn Between Horror And Hysterics When She Told Me. "i Took 'primary Source' To A Whole New Level!" Honestly, It Was A Wonder We'd Gotten By For So Long Without Angeline. Life Must Have Been So Boring Before Her.

Can't You... I Don't. Find A Hobby Or Something?" "being Charming Is My Hobby.

Meant To Be Alone

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.

I Think We Got In More Trouble With Aunt Tasha,ʺ Said Christian. ʺshe Was Kind Of Pissed Off That We Didnʹt Tell Her What Was Going On. I Think She Probably Wanted To Blow Up The Statues Herself.

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.

You Have To Protect Her. The More She Uses It, The Worse It'll Get. Stop Her, Rose. Stop Her Before They Notice, Before They Notice And Take Her Away Too. Get Her Out Of Here." [...] "don't Let Her Use The Power!. . .save Her. Save Her From Herself!

ʺwe Need Someone To Get The Roomʹs Attention,ʺ I Said. ʺsomeone Not Afraid To Make A Spectacle—i Mean, Besides Me, Of Course.ʺ

What’s Going On?” He Demanded. “the Usual, Old Man,” I Replied Cheerily. “danger, Insane Plans... You Know, The Stuff That Runs In Our Family.

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.

I’ve Come To Ask You Where Seth Is.” "funny,” Said Andrea. “we Were Going To Ask You The Same Thing.” I Was Taken Aback. “how Would I Know?” They Both Just Stared. "i Don’t!

I Bet You Never Thought The Hardest Part Of Finding Your ‘saviorʹ Would Be Getting Her Mom To Let Her Stay Out Past Curfew.

I Can Understand Bitchiness In Any Language.

Books Were A Lot Less Messy Than Orgasms.

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.

What Have I Done?" I Whispered. Jill Put Her Arm Around Me, But It Was Dimitri Who Spoke. "what You Had To.

Oh... Adrian, I've Got One More Favor To Ask You. A Big One." "fondue?" He Asked Hopefully.

I Heard Some Interesting Things About Your Performance Up Here." "i Hear Interesting Things About Your 'performance' All The Time Doug, But You Don't Hear Me Making Jokes About It.

Sleep With Seth Mortensen? Good Grief. It Was The Most Preposterous Thing I'd Ever Heard. It Was Appalling. If I Absorbed His Life Force, There Was No Telling How Long It'd Be Until His Next Book Came Out.

Dont Worry, Roza, I'm Not Afraid. I'll Take Whatever Heat They Give Me Over Being With You. It's Worth It.

Because...beacause It's So Good, And There's Only One Chance To Read A Book For The First Time, And I Want It To Last. That Experience. I'd Finish It In A Day Otherwise, And That'd Be Like...like Eating A Carton Of Ice Cream In One Sitting. Too Much Richness Over Too Quickly. This Way, I Can Draw It Out. Make The Book Last Longer. Savor It. I Have To Since They Don't Come Out That Often.

Did You Follow Me From The Party?" "yes" "i Didn't Even Know You Were There." His Dark Clothes Indicated He Must Have Been On Guardian Duty At The Party. "so You Saw The Illustrious Janine Cause A Commotion By Dragging Me Out." "it Wasn't A Commotion. Hardly Anyone Noticed. I Saw Because I Was Watching You.

When Love And Jealousy Collide On The Slopes, Winter Break Turns Deadly

Love And Jealousy

Somehow, Sydney Had An Internal Clock That Told Her When Time Was Up. I Think It Was Part Of Her Inherent Ability To Keep Track Of A Hundred Things At Once. Not Me. In These Moments, My Thoughts Were Usually Focused On Getting Her Shirt Off And Whether I’d Get Past The Bra This Time. So Far, I Hadn’t.

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 Saw Endless Depths Of Brown, The Depths I'd Fallen Into So Many Times. No Red Rings. Dimitri...was Not A Strigoi. And He Was Weeping.

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.

Love Doesn’t Stop People From Betraying Each Other

I Know," She Said, Guessing My Thoughts. "i Know Exactly How You Feel." "does It Get Easier?" I Asked. Unlike Sydney, Olena Had An Answer. "yes. But You'll Never Be The Same.

Knowing Lissa Missed Me Hurt Almost More Than If She'd Completely Written Me Off. I'd Never Wanted To Hurt Her. Even When I'd Resented Her For Feeling Like She Was Controlling My Life, I'd Never Hated Her. I Loved Her Like A Sister And Couldn't Stand The Thought Of Her Suffering Now On My Behalf. How Had Things Gotten So Screwed Up Between Us?

Wine's Terrible For Babies." Dorian Swept Into The Sitting Room To Join Me, Elegantly Arranging Himself On A Love Seat That Displayed His Purple Velvet Robes To Best Effect. "well Of Course It Is. I'd Never Dream Of Giving Wine To An Infant! What Do You Take Me For, A Barbarian? But For You... Well, It Might Go A Long Way To Make You A Little Less Jumpy. You've Been Positively Unbearable To Live Around. "i Can't Have It Either. It Affects The Babies In Utero.

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

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.

I Wanted Someone A Little More Approachable," I Explained. "what, Like Captain Mctropicalshorts Back There? Where On Earth Did You Find Him Anyway?" "just Did An Internet Search." Feeling A Need To Defend My Research, I Added, "he Comes Highly Recommended." "by Who? Long John Silver?

Life, Unfortunately, Doesn't Seem To Care What We Want.

You Guys Didn't Really Think You Could Go Off On A Party Weekend Without Me, Did You? Especially Here Of All Places—" 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.

Bound By Love, But Sworn To Kill.

That’s The Last Time You’re Going To Kiss Me,” I Warned When It Ended. He Smiled Knowingly, And In His Eyes, I Could See His Own Memories Of That Night. “so You Say.

Another Power I Don't Have," Said Lissa Ruefully. I Grinned. "hey, I Have Yet To Meet Any Spirit User Who Can Throw A Punch Like You Can. That Was Poetry In Motion, Liss." She Groaned.

How We Love Others Is Affected By How We Love Ourselves, And For The First Time In A Long Time, I Was Whole.

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.

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.

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.

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

What About You, Sage? I Know We Don't Have To Worry About You Violating The Dress Code. Did You Have Fun At Your Alchemist Spa This Weekend?

He'd Barely Seen Me Coming, And Despite The Horribleness Of What I'd Just Done, I Kind Of Wished One Of My Instructors Had Been There To Grade Me On Such An Awesome Performance.

Now I See Some Family Resemblance. I Was Starting To Wonder If Jill Was Adopted, But You Two Kind Of Look Like Each Other." "so Does Our Mailman Back In North Dakota," Said Adrian.

Adrian Sighed. "i Knew You Staying Out Of Trouble Was Too Good To Be True.

Too Good To Be True

If He Wants To Tell You, He'll Tell You. End Of Story, Rose. Besides, You Certainly Keep Your Share Of Secrets Too. You Two Have A Lot In Common." "are You Kidding? He's Arrogant, Sarcastic, Likes To Intimidate People, And—oh." Okay. Maybe She Had A Point.

Sometimes The Greatest Tests Of Our Strength Are Situations That Don't Seem So Obviously Dangerous. Sometimes Surviving Is The Hardest Thing Of All.

Look, Don’t Get Me Wrong. I Worship The Ground This Guy Walks On. I’m Excited To Meet Him Tonight. I’m Dying To Meet Him Tonight. If He Wanted To Carry Me Off And Make Me His Love Slave, I’d Do It, So Long As I Got Advance Copies Of His Books.

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

Sitting Beside Abe Was Adrian Ivashkov--my More-or-less Boyfriend. Adrian Was A Royal Moroi--and Another Spirit User Like Lissa. He'd Been Crazy About Me (and Often Just Crazy) Ever Since We First Met

I Shook My Head And Turned Away, Unable To Hear This. “i’m Leaving Now. I Really Don’t Want To See You Again. Nothing Personal. Well, Yeah, Actually It Is.

It’s Adrian Ivashkov Logic. Don’t Try To Understand It. Just Roll With It.

I Don't Care," Said Seth. "i Would Have Done It. I Would Have Sold My Soul For You. You And Me...i Told You. Something's Always Going To Keep Us Near Each Other...even If We Aren't Together.

Me? I Didn’t Believe In Hopeless.

I Tried To Be A Better Person For Her– But It Was To Impress Her, To Get Her To Want Me. But When I’m Around You, I Want To Be Better Because… Well, Because It Feels Right. Because I Want To. You Make Me Want To Become Something Greater Than Myself. I Want To Excel. You Inspire Me In Every Act, Every Word, Every Glance. I Look At You, And You’re Like… Like Light Made Into Flesh. […] You Have No Clue How Beautiful You Are Or How Brightly You Shine.

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.

You Can Put On As Many Airs As You Want, But In The End, That Dress Is The Same As You: An Old, Cheap Design Dressed Up To Look Like Its Worth More Than It Is.

Guilt Was Its Own Prison.

... Imperfection Would Get Me Farther Than Perfection.

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.

Fine" I Said Icily. "i'll Do This. But I Want It Noted That I'm Doing This Against My Will." "i Think We Already Figured That Out, Miss Hathaway.

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 Decided The Alchemists Needed An Entire Department Devoted To Handling Adrian Ivashkov.

This Isn’t A Game. We Don’t Want Mediocre Employees Who Can Keep The Status Quo. We Want Souls. We Want To Win. And You’ve Spent Most Of Your Time Here Being Mediocre.

Aubrey, Crouching On A Nearby Counter, Watched Me With Squinty Eyes, Apparently Pondering Why Anyone Would Willingly Immerse Themselves In Water Ever, Let Alone For Extended Periods Of Time.

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.

Well...i'm On Birth Control" I Was Drinking The Water Again And Choked On It. It Took Several Moments Of Coughing Before I Could Gasp Out. "what?" "it Takes A While For It To Start Working, So I Figured I Should Be Prepared, Just In Case." "just In Case," I Repeated, Still Dumbfounded.

It Was A Nephilim.” “a Nephi-what?” Asked Hugh, Startled. “isn’t That A Character On Sesame Street?” Peter Spoke Up For The First Time.

Did You Hotwire This Car?" I Then Rephrased My Question. "did You Steal This Car?

Impossible Situations Are Our Specialty.

Impossible Situations

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.

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

We Can Take Her. Besides, He Deserves Someone Who Doesn't Shop At Gap Kids. -rose To Lissa On Mia And Aaron

Angeline's Been Hanging Out With That Dhampir. I Just Saw Them Walking Off Together. Is Something Going On With Them?" "which Dhampir?" I Asked. "the One With The Fake British Accent." "i Don't Think It's Fake." "well, Whatever." Even I Could Read The Jealousy In Trey's Features. "what's Up With Them?" "pretty Sure There's Nothing." "then Why Are They Always Together?" Because She's Trying To Get Over You, I Thought.

I'll Just Love You Whether You Want Me To Or Not.

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.

I Said Earlier That Dead Things Don't Always Stay Dead. Well, I'm One Of Them. Don't Worry - I'm Not Like The Strigoi. But I Did Die Once (i Don't Recommend It).

You See Something You Like?

I Don't Believe In Soul Mates, Not Exactly. I Think It's Ridiculous To Think There's Only One Person Out There For Us. What If Your 'soul Mate' Lives In Zimbabwe? What If He Dies Young? I Also Think 'two Souls Becoming One' Is Ridiculous. You Need To Hold On To Yourself. But I Do Believe In Souls Being In Sync, Souls That Mirror Each Other.

Don't Worry, I Won't Bite. At Least Not In The Way You're Afraid Of.

Vampire Academy

Yeah, That’s Exactly What I Want. To Help My Girlfriend Get Her Old Boyfriend Back.

Wait Until Next Time," He Warned. "i'll Do Things That'll Make You Lose Control Within Seconds.

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.

I'm Not Worthy Of That," I Said. I Might Be Human Now, But I Understand How Powerful A Heavenly Creature Carter Was. "i Don't Deserve That Much Regard." He Reached Out And Tipped My Chin Up. "you Do, Georgina. And If You Don't Believe Me Now, Then Strive To Be. Live You Life. Be Kind. Love Those You Know. Love Those You Don't Know. Be Worthy Of Your Soul." A Tear Escaped, Rolling Down My Cheek And Probably Messing Up My Mortal Mascara. "thank You, Carter. Thank You For Everything.

Rose And Dimitri Moved Almost As One Entity, Like A Matched Pair Of Wolfes Or Lions, Both Wary And Deadly As They Studied Their Surroundings, Taking No Detail Or Person For Granted.

He Sighed And Then Focused His Eyes Right On Me. It Was Like Drowning, Drowning In Seas Of Green. There Was Nothing In The World Except For Those Eyes. "i Want To Kiss You, Rose," He Said Softly. "and I Want You To Want Me Too.

You Look Confused," Said Adrian. I Shook My Head And Sighed. "i Think I'm Just Overthinking Things." He Nodded Solemnly. "that's Why I Try To Never Do It.

Is It Possible To Specialize In More Than One Element?" She Laughed And Shook Her Head. "no. Too Much Power. No One Could Handle All That Magic, Not Without Losing Her Mind." Oh. Great.

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.

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.

Keith Was Just Bringing The Glass To His Lips When Adrian Said, "mmm. O Positive, My Favorite." Keith Sprayed Out The Wine He'd Just Drunk And Promptly Started Coughing. I Was Relieved That None Got On Me. Jill Burst Into Giggles, And Clarence Stared At His Glass Wonderingly. "is It? I Thought It Was A Cabernet Sauvignon." "so It Is," Said Adrian, Straight-faced. "my Mistake.

You Fixed Yourself. You Didn’t Need Me.” “no, Sydney.” My Voice Was Ragged. “i Do Need You. You Have No Idea How Much I Need You.

"watch It." He Said At Last. "i Can Make Your Life Miserable." I Gave Him An Icy Smile. "you Already Have, And That's Why I've Got The Advantage. You've Done Your Worst - But You Haven't Seen What I Can Do Yet."

I Opened My Eyes And Met His Dark, Earnest Gaze. "it's Okay," I Said. "it's Okay Now. I'm Here I'll Always Be Here For You.

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.

He Used To Talk To Me About Russia All The Time And Had Sworn Up And Down That I'd Love It Here. "to You, It'd Be Like A Fairy Tale," He'd Told Me. "sorry, Comrade. Borg And Out-of-date Music Aren't Part Of Any Happy Ending I've Ever Imagined." "borscht, Not Borg. And I've Seen Your Appetite. If You Were Hungry Enough, You'd Eat It." "so Starvation's Necessary For This Fairy Tale To Work Out?

We're The Same! Even Sonya Says We Are. We've Always Been The Same, And We're Both Acting The Same Stupid Way Now! We Hold Ourselves To Higher Standards Than Everyone Else.

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

You, Know I'm The Queen's Favorite Great Nephew, Well, Yeah I'm Her Only Great Nephew, But That's Not Important, I'd Still Be Her Favorite.

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.

To My Surprise, I Recognized Dimitri Belikov-rose's Boyfriend-among Those Doing Crowd Control. He Was Easy To Spot Since He Was Almost Always Taller Than Everyone Around Him. Dhampirs Look Very Human, And Even I Could Admit That He Was Pretty Good-looking. There Was A Rugged Handsomeness To Him, And Even In A Still Photograph, I Could See A Fierceness As He Watched The Crowd.

Maybe Instead Of Stalking Her, You Should Go Out With Someone Else." He Sighed. "you Don't Think I've Tried? How Can Anyone Compare? You Might Not Believe This, But There Is No One Like Ageline At This School.

As Much As I Hated To Admit It, I Kind Of Looked Forward To Seeing Him. It Made No Sense, But Something About His Infuriating Nature Made Me Forget About My Other Worries. Weirdly, I Felt Like I Could Relax Around Him.

But Perhaps The Best Part Of All Was That I, Sydney Katherine Sage, Guilty Of Constantly Analyzing The World Around Me, Well, I Stopped Thinking.

You Got Some Cheap Foreign Labor To Protect Lissa?

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

Under Normal Circumstances, You Inviting Me To The Bedroom Would Be The Highlight Of My Day.

Janine Hathaway Offered To Be My Guardian, " Said Lissa Suddenly. "janine Hathaway?" Tatiana's Eyebrows Rose Nearly To Her Hairline. "i'm Sure She Has Other Commitments. No, We've Got Much Better Choices." A Better Choice Than Janine Hathaway? Not Likely. Before Dimitri, My Mother Had Been The Gold Standard By Which I Measured All Badassedness.

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

Vampire Academy

Our Lips Met Hungrily, And His Clever Artistic Hands Wrapped Around My Hips. A Sudden Buzz From My Regular Cell Phone Startled Me From The Kissing. "don't," Said Adrian, His Eyes Ablaze And Breathing Ragged. "what If There's A Crisis At School?" I Asked. "what If Angeline 'accidentally' Stole One Of The Campus Buses And Drove It Into The Library?" "why Would She Do That?" "are You Saying She Wouldn't?" He Sighed. "go Check It.

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

You Know I Love You, Right?” The Urge To Kiss Her Goodbye Was So Strong That I Almost Broke Our Rules. She Smiled, Beautiful And Golden In The Late Morning Light. “not As Much As I Love You.” “oh, Man. This Is My Dream Come True: Having An ‘i Love You More’ Debate. Here, I’ll Start. I Love You More. Your Turn.” Sydney Laughed And Opened The Door. “i’ve Taken Debate Classes. You’d Lose To My Logic.

It’s As Easy As We Choose To Make It,” He Murmured, Pressing His Forehead To Mine. “at Least, This Decision Is. Nothing’s Truly Easy, Georgina. Love And Life . . . They’re Wonderful, But They’re Hard. We May Mess Up Again. We Have To Be Strong And Decide If We Can Still Go Forward, Even When Things Aren’t Perfect.

Also, I Didn’t Trust Any Guy Who Used More Styling Products Than I Did.

Well, If The Excitement's Over, I Think I'll Take A Bath.' 'wow. The Harsh Lifestyle Of A Succubus. I Wish I Had Your Job.' 'hey, Our Side's Always Recruiting. You Might Need To Be A Little Prettier To Be An Incubus, Though. And A Little More Charming.' 'untrue. Mortal Women Go For Jerks. I See It All The Time.' 'touché.

People Often Ask Where I Get My Inspiration From, And I Always Say I Have No Good Answer Because, Well, Inspiration Comes From Everywhere: People, Places, Memories.

You Make A Joke Out Of Everything. Life’s Too Painful Not To.

It Was Near Curfew Time, And I Was Dropping Him Off For The Night. He Shook His Head. "rose, I Don't Know If You're Crazy Or Not, But I'm Actually Starting To Think You Might Be The Best Guardian- Or Soon-to-be Guardian- Out There." "did You Just Give Me A Serious Compliment?" I Asked. He Turned His Back On Me And Headed Inside His Dorm. "good Night.

His Fingertips Slid Down From My Face, Lightly Stroking The Line Of My Neck, Down Toward My Shoulder. Everywhere He Touched, A Trail Of Goose Bumps Appeared. How Did He Keep Doing This To Me? Marcus—who Made Every Girl In The World Swoon—had Zero Effect On Me. But One Whisper Of A Touch From Adrian Completely Undid Me.

Whereas Angeline's Antics Made Me Want To Pull Out My Hair Sometimes, Trey Found Them Endearing.

Hey, Have You Ever Heard Of The Alchemists? " "sure, " He Said. "of Course You Have. " "why? Did You Run Into Them? " "kind Of. " "what'd You Do? " "why Do You Think I Did Anything? " He Laughed. "alchemists Only Show Up When Trouble Happens, And You Bring Trouble Wherever You Go. Be Careful, Though. They're Religious Nuts." "that's Kind Of Extreme," I Said. "just Don't Let Them Convert You." He Winked. "i Like You Being The Sinner You Are.

Rose, I Cheat At Cards And Buy Liquor For Minors. But I Would Never, Ever Force You Into Something You Don't Want.

I Also Never Would Have Imagined I'd Quote Back A Church Lesson, But When The Rest Of The Crowd Stood Up To Take Communion, I Found Myself Saying To Dimitri: "don't You Think That If God Can Supposedly Forgive You, It's Kind Of Egotistical For You Not To Forgive Yourself?" "how Long Have You Been Waiting To Use That Line On Me?" He Asked. "actually, It Just Came To Me. Pretty Good, Huh? I Bet You Thought I Wasn't Paying Attention." "you Weren't. You Never Do. You Were Watching Me.

Christian's Family Lived Under The Shadow Cast By His Parents. They Had Purposely Become Striogi, Trading Thier Magic And Mortality To Become Immortal And Subsist On Killing Others. His Parents Were Dead Now, But That Didn't Stop People From Not Trusting Him. They Seemed To Think He'd Go Strigoi At Any Moment And Take Everyone Else With Him. His Abrasiveness And Dark Sence Of Humor Didn't Really Help Things, Either.

"i'm Sure It Is," She Replied. Her Expression Turned Fierce, Making Her Look Far Different From The Scattered Teacher I Knew. "but Listen To Me When I Say This. You Are Exceptional, Talented, And Brilliant Young Woman. Do Not Ever Let Anyone Make You Feel Like You're Less. Do Not Ever Let Anyone Make You Feel Invisible. Do Not Let Anyone - Not Even A Teacher Who Constantly Sends You For Coffee - Push You Around." She Put Her Glasses Back On And Began Randomly Lifting Up Pieces Of Papers. At Last, She Found A Pen And Grinned Triumphantly. "now, Then. What Is Your Brother's Name?"

Who Knows More About Male Weakness: You Or Me? Use My Knowledge, Sage.

Don't Get Caught Up In Fashion Games. These Kids Probably Think We're Old, Nark Conformists Or Something, But Really, They're Just Conforming In Their Own Ways. They're Conforming To Nonconformity.

Coming To My Rescue?' 'of Course. It's What We Do. I Rescue You; You Rescue Me. We Just Take Turns Whenever The Other Needs It.

Mentor’s Official And Complete Procedural Handbook On Initial Succubus Intake And Probationary Period (abridged). “abridged?” I Spun Toward Jerome. “tell Me You’re Getting Back At Me For The Time I Accused You Of Wearing Old Spice.” “that One’s Still Coming,” Said The Demon. “this One’s For Real.

I'll Find You. There Is No Place In This World You Can Hide From Me. I'm Watching. Love, Dimitri

I Went To Bed Feeling Melancholy, Wishing I Could Have Poured Out All My Fears And Insecurities To My Mom. Wasn’t That What Normal Mothers And Daughters Did?

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.

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

The Choices We Made Today Were Templates For The Future.

When I Saw You Fall..." "you Thought, 'wow, She's A Loser.

I'm Telling You, I Wanted To. But I Was Trapped. You Of All People Should Know What It's Like Being Caught Between Groups

And Sometimes, If I Was Really, Really Lucky, He’d Smile At Me. A Real Smile, Too—not The Dry One That Accompanied The Sarcasm We Tossed Around So Often. I Didn’t Want To Admit It To Anyone—not To Lissa, Not Even To Myself—but Some Days, I Lived For Those Smiles.

I Tried To Dredge Up The Same Reaction Other Girls Had Around Marcus, But Nothing Happened. No Matter How Hard I Tried, I Just Didn't Have That Same Attraction His Hair Was Too Blond, I Decided. And His Eyes Needed A Little More Green.

God,” I Moaned. “do They Use That Stuff As Rocket Fuel?” “no One Made You Keep Drinking It.” “hey, Don’t Get Preachy. Besides, I Had To Be Polite.” “sure,” She Said.

She Laughed Softly. "therapy Isn't So Much About What I Think As You Do." "then Why Do It At All?" "because We Don't Always Know What It Is We're Thinking Or Feeling. When You Have A Guide, It's Easier To Figure Things Out. You'll Often Discover That You Already Know What To Do. I Can Help You Ask Questions And Go Places You Mihgt Not Have On Your Own." "well, You're Good At The Qujestion Part." I Noted Dryly.

Having Your Own, Um, Cave At Eighteen Is Pretty Cool.

It Was Worth It. You Looked... Happy.

You Destroy My Life Then Feed Me Inspirational Philosophy.

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

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

That Was Sydney Sage," Said Lissa. "i Thought They Were All In West Virginia. Why Isn't She With Rose?" "that," Said Abe Darkly, "is An Excellent Question." "because They Were Apparently Kidnapping Jill Mastrano In Detroit," Said Christian. "which Is Weird. But Not The Craziest Thing I Can Think Of Rose Doing.

Don’t Take The High Ground And Assume You Already Know What You’ll Do. The Truth Is, When It Comes To Someone You Love, You’ll Find There Isn’t Anything You Won’t Do.

This Is Insane," I Said Blankly. "i'm The Instrument Of An All-powerful Primordial Deity's Wave Of Chaos And Destruction." "that's Kind Of Extreme" Said Dante Jovially. "it's Not Like You Work For Google Or Anything.

You Can Live A Lifetime In Two Years.

Really, It's My Fault. It Was There. A Hundred Times There. How Often Did I See It? I Knew. It Kept Happening. Over And Over, You'd Say You Were Through With Him...and Over And Over, I'd Believe It...no Matter What My Eyes Showed Me. No Matter What My Heart Told Me. My. Fault.

Never Thought I’d See The Day When You’d Throw Your Arms Around A Vam - Someone Like Me

Adrian Shook His Head, Still Smiling. "i've Said Over And Over, I'd Do Anything For You. I Just Keep Hoping It'll Be Something Like, 'adrian, Let's Go Hot Tubbing' Or 'adrian, Take Me Out For Fondue.'" "well, Sometimes We Have To--did You Say Fondue?" Sometimes It Was Impossible To Follow Adrian's Train Of Thought. "why In The World Would I Ever Say That?" He Shrugged. "i Like Fondue.

Train Of Thought

Whether It's Simply Some Fierce Animal Joining Of Mates Or A Sublime Merging Of Souls, She Is Mine, And I Am Hers.

Really, Sage? A Date?” I Sighed. “yes, Adrian. A Date.” “a Real Date. Not, Like, Doing Homework Together,” He Added. “i Mean Like Where You Go Out To A Movie Or Something. And A Movie That’s Not Part Of A School Assignment. Or About Something Boring.” “a Real Date.

Where Are You Going?" He Asked. "to Break Someone's Heart," I Replied.

My Boyfriend Was Insanely Sexy, Vampire Or Not, And I Couldn't Keep My Hands Off Him.

And So, Surpassing My Own Records For Dangerous, Reckless Behavior, I Ripped Off Sonya's Bracelet. "i'm Rose Hathaway.

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