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What Happened? Did A House Fall On Your Sister?" I Asked. Maybe There Was A Benefit To Our Language Barrier. She Pursed Her Lips. "you Can't Stay Here Much Longer," She Said. My Mouth Dropped Open. "you...you Speak English?" She Snorted. "of Course.

-Richelle Mead

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What Happened? Did A

Richelle Mead

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What Happened? Did A House Fall On Your Sister?" I Asked. Maybe There Was A Benefit To Our Language Barrier. She Pursed Her Lips. "you Can't Stay Here Much Longer," She Said. My Mouth Dropped Open. "you...you Speak English?" She Snorted. "of Course.

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ʺwhere Is It?ʺ I Asked. ʺlexington, Kentucky.ʺ ʺoh For Godʹs Sake,ʺ I Moaned. ʺwhy Not The Bahamas? Or The Corn Palace?ʺ Dimitri Tried To Hide A Smile. It Might Have Been At My Expense, But If Iʹd Lightened His Mood, I Was Grateful. ʺif We Leave Right Now, We Can Reach Him Before Morning.ʺ I Glanced Around. ʺtough Choice. Leave All This For Electricity And Plumbing?ʺ Now Sydney Grinned. ʺand No More Marriage Proposals.ʺ ʺand Weʹll Probably Have To Fight Strigoi,ʺ Added Dimitri. I Jumped To My Feet. ʺhow Soon Can We Go?ʺ

He's An Angel. Isn't He Supposed To Love Everyone, Even The Damned? Especially When Said Damned Are His Drinking Buddies.

You’re Presumptuous And Arrogant And A Whole Lot Of Other Things If You Think I’ve Changed My Mind.” “you See, That’s Just It.” There He Was Again, Moving Into My Space. “i Think You Like The ‘other Things.

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

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

Is Hopper Celebrating With You?” “hopper? Why Would—” My Mouth Snapped Shut For A Few Moments. “oh. I, Uh, Kind Of Forgot About Him.

She Felt So Much Emotionally, She Would Say, That A Physical Outlet - Physical Pain - Was The Only Way To Make Her Internal Pain Go Away. It Was The Only Way She Could Control It.

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.

You Are The Most Boring Teacher Ever." He Grinned And Gave Me A Quick Kiss On The Cheek, Just As A Knock Sounded At The Door. "it All Depends On What You Me To Teach You.

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.

Since When Do We Even Play Games?” “since When Don’t We Play Games? Games Of Life, Games Of Death. Games Of Love, Of Hope, Of Chance, Of Despair, And Of All The Myriad Wonders In Between.” I Rolled My Eyes At The Newcomer. “hello, Carter.

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.

What Hope Is There?" I Asked. "if Even Angels Fall, What Hope Is There For The Rest Of Us?

He Watched As I Slipped One Of The Shoes On. "you Have A Guardian Angel." "i Don't Believe In Angels," I Told Him. "i Believe In What I Can Do For Myself." Well Then, You Have An Amazing Body." I Glanced Up At Him With A Questioning Look. "for Healing, I Mean. I Heard About The Accident.

None Of It Seems Real. Who Knows? Maybe It Isn’t. Maybe It’s Actually Happening To Someone Else. Maybe It’s Something I Imagined. Maybe Soon I’m Going To Wake Up And Find Everything Fixed With Lissa And Dimitri. We’ll All Be Together, And He’ll Be There To Smile And Hold Me And Tell Me Everything ‘s Going To Be Okay. Maybe All Of This Really Has Been A Dream. But I Don’t Think So.

It Occurred To Me That I Was Standing Face To Face With The Hero Of A Love Story Nearly As Dramatic As My Own.

He Shook His Head. “no. Because There's No One Else Out There Who Understands You Like I Do.” I Waited For More. “that's It? You're Not Going To Elaborate On What That Means?” Those Green Eyes Held Me. “i Don't Think I Need To.

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

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

Too Bad. Family Members Hit You By Accident. Psychopathic Whores Tend To Come Back For More.

Sometimes It's Worth Lingering On The Journey For A While Before Getting To The Destination.

Look, Sage. I Don't Know Much About Chemistry Or Computer Hacking Or Photosynthery, But This Is Something I've Got A Lot Of Experience With." I Think He Mean Photosynthesis, But I Didn't Correct Him. "use My Knowledge. Don't Let It Go To Waste.

Ah, Eugenie. I Know. We Will Be Victorious, You And Me. We're The Strongest Monarchs In This World. You And I Will Lead This Army, And We Will Conquer The Rowan Land. We'll Split It Between Us, Adding On To Our Kingdoms...and From There, We Can Go Anywhere. We Could Rule Half This World Together - All Of This World - You And Me. Kingdom After Kingdom Would Fall To Us.

Look Who's Calling The Cauldron Black." "kettle. It’s A Kettle. Get Your Metaphors Right." "that Wasn’t A Metaphor. It Was A, You Know..." He Stared Off Into Space, Blinking. "one Of Those Things That’s Symbolic Of Another Thing. But Isn’t The Same Thing. Just Like It." "you Mean A Metaphor?" "no! It’s Like A Story...like...a Proverb! That’s It." "i’m Pretty Sure That Wasn’t A Proverb. Maybe It Was An Analogy." "i Don’t Think So.

Vampire Academy: Rose- See Something You Like? Dimitri- Get Dressed. Last Sacrifice: Rose- See Something You Like? Dimitri- Lots

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

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."

Even I Make Mistakes." I Put On My Brash, Overconfident Face. "i Know It's Hard To Believe—kind Of Surprises Me Myself—but I Guess It Has To Happen. It's Probably Some Kind Of Karmic Way To Balance Out The Universe. Otherwise, It Wouldn't Be Fair To Have One Person So Full Of Awesomeness.

Mark Glanced At His Watch And Sighed. "look, I Have To Go, But I'm Serious, Rose. Stay Here. Stay Out Of Trouble. Fight Strigoi If They Come To You, But Don't Go Seeking Them Blindly. And Definitely Leave The Ghosts Alone. " It Was A Lot Of Advice To Get In A Grocery Store, A Lot Of Advice I Wasn't Sure I Could Follow.

A Different Word Usually Came To My Mind When I Thought Of Yeva, Though It Did Sound A Lot Like “witch.

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.

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 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.

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 Each Time You Use Spirit, You're More Likely To Go Crazy.” “already Crazy About You, Sage.

Adrian's New Research Partner Stepped Through The Door, And I Knew The Uneasy Peace We'd Just Established In Palm Springs Was About To Shatter. Dimitri Belikov Had Arrived.

I’d Seen Him Fight Before, But It Never Got Old. He Was Captivating. He Never Stopped Moving. Every Action Was Graceful And Lethal. He Was A Dancer Of Death.

One Of The Few Downsides To Being Awakened Is That We No Longer Require Sleep; Therefore We Also No Longer Dream. It's A Shame, Because If I Could Dream, I Know I'd Dream About You.

If You Wanted To Remold People, You Had To Break Them Down First.

Sydney Spent A Lot Of Time On My Bed These Days. Unfortunately, It Wasn't With Me.

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.

That's Pretty Hot," He Said. "punching Me In The Eye?" "well, No. Of Course Not. I Meant The Idea Of Getting Rough With You Is Hot. I'm A Big Fan Of Full-contact Sports." "i'm Sure You Are.

You Aren't Afraid Of Throwing Yourself In The Path Of Danger, But You're Terrified Of Letting Anyone In.

God Might Work On Mysterious Ways, But Hell Worked On Efficient Ones.

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

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

Did You See That Dress?” "i Saw The Dress.” "did You Like It?” He Didn't Answer. I Took That As A Yes. "am I Going To Endanger My Reputation If I Wear It To The Dance?” When He Spoke, I Could Barely Hear Him. "you'll Endanger The School.” I Smiled And Fell Asleep.

Who Else Is Going?" I Asked. He Shrugged. "just You And Me." My Mood Promptly Shot Up Past 'cheerful' And Went Straight To 'estatic.' Me And Dimitri. Alone. In A Car. This Might Very Well Be Worth A Surprise Test. "how Far Is It?" Silently, I Begged For It To Be A Really Long Drive. Like, One That Would Take A Week. And Would Involve Us Staying Overnight In Luxury Hotels. Maybe We'd Get Stranded In A Snowbank, And Only Body Heat Would Keep Us Alive. "five Hours" "oh." A Bit Less Than I'd Hoped For. Still, Five Hours Was Better Than Nothing. It Didn't Rule Out The Snowbank Possibility, Either.

Honor, I Thought. For Real: The Guardians Should Have Taught It. Because I Hadn't Learned It.

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.

Relax, Having Kids Is Years Away. But Can You Imagine? Your Brains, My Charm, Our Collective Good Looks... Then Add In The Usual Physical Abilities Dhampirs Get. It's Really Not Even Fair To Everyone Else.

My Mother Wasnʹt Sleeping With Anybody. She Doesnʹt Even Sleep With My Father.

Can You Come Over To Amberwood? I Need You To Help Me Break Curfew And Escape My Dorm.” There Were A Few Moments Of Silence. “sage, I’ve Been Waiting Two Months To Hear You Say Those Words. You Want Me To Bring A Ladder?

He Smiled, And It Lit Up His Whole Face.

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

Jesse: " Hey Rose, Welcome Back. Still Breaking Hearts?" Rose: " Are You Volunteering?

I Had Never Thought I Could Love Another Person This Much. I Also Never Thought I’d Live In Such Fear Of Losing Another Person. Was This How Everyone In Love Felt? Did They All Cling Tightly To Their Beloved And Wake Up Terrified In The Middle Of The Night, Afraid Of Being Alone? Was That An Inevitable Way Of Life When You Loved So Deeply? Or Was It Just Those Of Us Who Walked On A Precipice Who Lived In Such Panic?

I Just Told You To Be Quiet. That's One Step Away From Asking You To Wash My Laundry And Make Me A Sandwich.

Adrian Gave Me A Look That Said I Was Wasting His Time. "because Jet Sounds Badass.

He's Been Out For A While," She Said. "you Ready To Take A Break?" Hopper Could Exist In This Living Form Or Be Transformed Into A Small Statue, Which Helped Avoid Uncomfortable Questions When People Came By. Only She Could Transform Him Though. "yeah. He Keeps Trying To Eat My Paints. And I Don't Want Him To Watch Me Kiss You Goodbye.

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?

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.

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

Hey Mason, Wipe That Drool Off You Face. If You're Going To Think About Me Naked, Do It On Your Own Time. -rose To Mason

I Don't Remember You Being This Reasonable Before, " Lissa Said. "it's Because Everyone Has Different Definitions Of 'reasonable. ' Mine's Just Misunderstood, That's All. " Christian's Voice Was Lofty. "i Think You Must Be Misunderstood A Lot, " She Laughed. His Eyes Held Hers, And The Smile On His Face Transformed Into Something Warmer And Softer. "well, I Hope This Isn't Misunderstood. Otherwise, I Might Get Punched. " Leaning Over, He Brought His Lips To Hers. Lissa Responded With No Hesitation Or Thought Whatsoever, Losing Herself In The Sweetness Of The Kiss.

Stop Bitching And Try Again.

It's Late, I'm Tired, And Your Cigarettes Are Giving Me A Headache," I Growled. "i Suppose That's Fair." He Drew In On The Cigarette And Let Out The Smoke. "some Women Think They Make Me Look Sexy." "i Think You Smoke Them So You Have Something To Do While Thinking Up Your Next Witty Line." He Choked On The Smoke, Caught Between Inhaling And Laughing. "rose Hathaway, I Can't Wait To See You Again. If You're This Charming While Tired And Annoyed And This Gorgeous While Bruised And In Ski Clothes, You Must Be Devastating At Your Peak.

I Sighed And Gestured Toward Him. "i'll Take Him." In An Undertone, I Added, "don't Let Me Down, Zmey.

Why Not The Bahamas? Or The Corn Palace?

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)

Never Thought My Biggest Cheerleader Would Be Someone Who Thought I Was Evil And Unnatural.

I Love You, And Beneath All That Logic, Calculation, And Superstition, I Know You Love Me Too.

Have You Ever Wanted To Put On A Santa Suit?" "i Have Always Wanted To Do That," Said Carter Gravely.

For A Moment, I Was Captivated As I Studied Them Side By Side. My Mother: The Perfect Picture Of Guardian Excellence And Decorum. My Father: Always Capable Of Achieving His Goals, No Matter How Twisted The Means. Uneasily, I Began To Understand How I’d Inherited My Bizarre Personality.

Maybe Everyone Else Thinks Your Aversion To Food Is Cute- But Not Me. I've Watched You Watch Jill. Here's Some Tough Love: You Will Never, Ever Have Her Body. Ever. It's Impossible. She's Moroi. You're Human. That's Biology. You Have A Great One, One That Most Humans Would Kill For- And You'd Look Even Better If You Put On A Little Weight. Five Pounds Would Be A Good Start. Hide The Ribs. Get A Bigger Bra Size

He Leaned Closer To Me And Then Seemed Shocked As He Realized What He Was Doing. "why Would You Do That? Why Would You Do That For Me?

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.

Rose You Can't Go." This Time The Sadness In Lissa's Voice Was Mirrored Though The Bond, Flooding Into Me. "it's Not That Dimitri Didn't Ask To See You. He Asked Specifically Not To See You.

I Want Your Opinion.ʺ ʺthat,ʺ Adrian Said, ʺis Not Something I Hear A Lot.ʺ

None Of You Appreciate Me. Why Is It So Hard To Believe That I Could Make A Real Contribution In These Dark Rimes?

You Got Some Cheap Foreign Labor To Protect Lissa?

I Certainly Hadn't Expected To Walk Away From Today's Trip With Joint Custody Of A Miniature Dragon.

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 Wrapped My Arms Around His Neck And Pulled Him Closer. I Didn't Care That We Were Out In Public. I Didn't Care That He Was Moroi. All That Mattered Was That He Was Adrian, My Adrian. My Match. My Partner In Crime.

And I Thought The Whole Point Of My Education Was That Violence Is The Answer.

What...what Are You Doing?" "i Won't Know," He Said With A Grin. He Took A Step Towards Me. "but I'm Pretty Sure You Were Doing It Too.

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

I Felt A Strange Fluttering Sensation In My Chest. Butterflies, Cardiac Arrest . . . It Was Hard To Say What Exactly.

Throughout History, People With New Ideas—who Think Differently And Try To Change Things—have Always Been Called Troublemakers.

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.

He Was Almost Naked Too, But I Hadn't Quite Gotten To His Boxers Yet. (they Were Silk Because, Honestly What Else Would Adrian Wear?)

Smiling, I Cut Across The Quadrangle Toward The Commons. I Felt Better About Life Than I Had In A Very Long Time. We Could Do This, Lissa And Me. We Could Do This Together.

Moroi Shied From The Sunlight But As I Watched Sydney, I Knew Without A Doubt That Humans Had Been Made For The Sun.

Yeah? Can You Draw A Skeleton Riding A Motorcycle With Flames Coming Out Of It? And I Want A Pirate Hat On The Skeleton. And A Parrot On His Shoulder. A Skeleton Parrot. Or Maybe A Ninja Skeleton Parrot? No, That Would Be Overkill. But It'd Be Cool If The Biker Skeleton Could Be Shooting Some Ninja Throwing Stars. That Are On Fire.

Culinary Science? You Elected Culinary Science? That's The Most Brainless Class Ever. -rose To Christian

Dorian Used To Watch You Like A Starving Man Who Wants Meat. Now He Looks At You Like He Wants Seconds.

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.

What, Are You Doing? Aside From Getting Your Sandwich Cold." "i’m Making A Snow Angel. Don’t You Know What That Is?" "yes, I Know. But Why? You Must Be Freezing." "not So Much, Actually. My Face Is A Little, I Guess.

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.

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.

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?

"well, You've Finally Got A License To Kill. It's About Time." I Turned And Met The Amused Eyes Of Christian Ozera, A Onetime Annoyance Who'd Become A Good Friend. So Good, In Fact, That In My Joyous Zeal, I Reached Out And Hugged Him - Something He Clearly Didn't Expect. I Was Surprising Everyone Today. "whoa, Whoa," He Said Backing Up, Flushing. "it Figures. You're The Only Girl Who'd Get All Emotional About The Thought Of Killing. I Don't Even Want To Think About What Goes On When You And Ivashkov Are Alone."

You're In An Awfully Good Mood," He Observed. "was There A Sale At Khakis-r-us?

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.

And I Figured You'd Drive A Four-hour Round-trip Before Giving Up Your Car To Someone Else

The Choices We Made Today Were Templates For The Future.

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.

My Name's Jet Steele.

Funny How Someone Telling You Not To Do Something Can Talk You Into It.

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.

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.

I Brought My Lips Down To Hers, And It Was Like Everything That Had Ever Happened To Me Had Simply Been A Warm-up For This Moment, That This Was Where My Life Truly Began.

The Only Way To Lose A Kingdom Is If Your Power Drops Or..well, If You're Killed." "i'm Sure Volusian Would Love To Help With That." My Minion Walked Near Me, Needing No Horse To Move Swiftly. Upon Hearing His Name, He Said, "i Would Perform The Deed With Great Relish And Much Suffering On Your Part, Mistress." "you Can't Put A Price On That Kind Of Loyalty," I Told Kiyo.

It Was Nice To See Someone Who Appreciated Her For Her Character, No Matter How Disgusted Christian Was By The Idea Of Anyone Dating His Aunt. And I Actually Kind Of Liked Seeing Christian So Obviously Tormented. It Was Good For Him.

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.

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.

Books Were A Lot Less Messy Than Orgasms.

Doug Returned Five Minutes Later And Shook His Head. "sorry Kid. She's Single, But She Doesn't Think You're Her Type. She's Into The Goth And Vampire Scene. You're Too Mainstream For Her." I Was Sipping A Glass Of Water And Nearly Choked On It. "that," Said Peter, As Soon As Doug Was Gone, "is What We Call Irony." "how Is That Possible?" Exclaimed Cody. "i Am A Vampire. I Should Be Exactly What She Wants." "yeah, But You Don't Look Like One," I Said. If Gabrielle Had Been A Trekkie, He Might Have Had A Shot Tonight.

"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?"

Some Part Of You Will Always ... Fight To Cling To Life And Experience All It Has. That's Why You're So Reckless In The Things You Do. You Don't Hold Back Your Feelings, Your Passion, Your Anger. It Makes You Remarkable. It Makes You Dangerous

Most Fathers Don't Threaten To Disembowel Their Daughter's Boyfriends." "that's Not True. And Anyway, That's Not What I Actually Said. It Was Much Worse.

In Fact I Was Fairly Certain There Was No One In The Entire World Quite Like Adrian Ivashkov.

If You'd Teach Me To Swear In Russian, I Might Have A New Appreciation For It

Nice Blouse, Sage,” Adrian Told Me, Deadpan. “it Really Brings Out The Khaki In Your Pants.

I Didn't Think My Day Could Get Any Worse Until My Best Friend Told Me She Might Be Going Crazy. Again.

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.

A Year. We'd Known Each Other Only A Year, But We'd Lived A Lifetime In It.

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.

Yet, It Had Been Dimitri’s Gentleness And Thoughtfulness Mixed With That Deadliness That Made Him So Wonderful. The Same Hands That Wielded Stakes With Such Precision Would Carefully Brush The Hair Out Of My Face. The Eyes That Could Astutely Spot Any Danger In The Area Would Regard Me Wonderingly And Worshipfully, Like I Was The Most Beautiful And Amazing Woman In The World.

Me, I Always Wanted Frost Power.” “frost Power?” “yeah.” Seth Gestured Dramatically Toward My Coffee Table. “if We’re Talking Superhero Abilities. If I Had Frost Power, I Could Wave My Hand, And Suddenly That Whole Thing Would Be Covered In Ice.” “not Frost?” “same Difference.” “how Would Frost And/or Ice Power Help You Fight Crime?” “well, I Don’t Know That It Would. But It’d Be Cool.

Dreams, Dreams. I Walk Them; I Live Them. I Delude Myself With Them. It's A Wonder I Can Spot Reality Anymore."... He Turned From Me With A Sigh. "i Need A Drink."... "oh, Good. That'll Fix Everything. I'm Glad In A World Gone Mad, You've Still Got Your Old Standbys."... "what Do You Expect Me To Do?" He Asked. "you Could... You Could... Well, Now That You're Here, You Could Help Us. Plus, This Guy We're Meeting. He's Another Spirit User."... "yeah, That's Exactly What I Want. To Help My Girlfriend Get Her Old Boyfriend Back. " He Turned Away Again, And I Heard Him Mutter, "i Need Two Drinks."

I’m Telling You, You’d Like Him. He Goes To A Public School And Just Started At Spencer’s. The Other Day, He Was Going Off On Unaerobic Vs. Aerobic Respiration, And I Was Thinking, ‘you Know Who This Sounds Like? Melbourne.’” -- Trey

Our Gazes Locked, So Much Passing Between Us. In Those Moments, I Wasn't In A Tent With Him, On The Run From Those Who Regarded Us As Villains. There Was No Murderer To Catch, No Strigoi Trauma To Overcome. There Was Just Him And Me And The Feelings That Had Burned Between Us For So Long.

It'd Be Nice To Have Someone Who Understood Some Of The Things That Went On In My Head.

"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."

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.

I Want You To Break The Spell. Finish It Off.” "what Do You Mean?” "the Spell You Did On Me And Dimitri.” "that Spell Is Done. It Burned Itself Out.” I Shook My Head. "no. I Keep Thinking About Him. I Keep Wanting To…” He Smiled Knowingly When I Didn't Finish. "my Dear, That Was Already There, Long Before I Set That Up.

Not At All. I'm Saying There's A Fire In You That Drives Everything You Do, That Makes You Need To Better The World And Those You Love. To Stand Up For Those You Can't. It's One Of The Wonderful Things About You.'' ''only One, Huh?'' I Spoke Lightly, But His Words Had Thrilled Me. He'd Meant What He Said About Thinking Those Were Wonderful Traits, And Feeling His Pride In Me Meant More Than Anything Just Then.

To Thetis, Long Overdue, I Know, But Every Often The Things We Most Desire Come Only After Much Patience And Struggle. That Is A Human Truth, I Think. Even Peleus Knew That. -seth

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

When She Left For A Third Time And Returned With A Giant Box, I Started To Get Irate. "what Is This?" I Demanded, Taking It From Her. It Felt Like It Had Bricks In It. "grandmother Needs You To Carry Some Things," Paul Told Me. "yes," I Said Through Gritted Teeth. "i Sort Of Figured That Out Fifty Pounds Ago.

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.

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

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.

I Thought Alchemists Avoided Alcohol The Same Way They Do Primary Colors.

I Had A Standing Arrangement With God: I'd Agree To Believe In Him—barely—so Long As He Let Me Sleep In On Sundays.

Lure Him Out. Send In A 'customer' With A Message From Me Needing To Meet Him. I'm Not The Kind Of Person He Can Ignore-well, That He Used To Not-never Mind. Once He's Out, We Can Get Him To A Place We Choose." I Nodded. "i Can Do That." "no," Said Dimitri. "you Can't." "why Not?" I Asked, Wondering If He Thought It Was Too Dangerous For Me. "because They'll Know You're A Dhampir The Instant They See You. They'll Probably Smell It First. No Strigoi Would Have A Dhampir Working For Him-only Humans." There Was An Uncomfortable Silence In The Car. "no!" Said Sydney. "i Am Not Doing That!

Why Does It Have To Be So Cut-and-dried? In Your View, I Either Have To Hate Them Or Be In League With Them. There’s A Middle Ground, You Know. I Can Still Be Loyal To The Alchemists And On Friendly Terms With Vampires And Dhampirs.

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

Meant To Be Alone

I Haven’t Even Really Tried To Win You Over, Roza. When I Want To, I Can Be Very Persuasive.

Don't Worry, Little Dhampir. You Might Be Surrounded By Clouds, But You'll Always Be Like Sunshine To Me.

Feminist,” He Said, Clearly Amused. “next You’ll Be Telling Us You Hate Men.” She Gave Him A Blank Look. “i Only Hate Stupid Men Who Don’t Actually Understand What ‘feminist’ Means.” He Laughed. “you Run Into A Lot Of Men Like That?” “all The Time.” “really?” “even As We Speak, Nick.” “oh No She Didn’t,” Said Peter. I Groaned.

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

Only What?” I Asked. I Could Barely Hear My Own Voice. He Turned His Gaze Back To Me, Firm And Unflinching. “only… More Human.” And That Was It. All The Anger And Sorrow Vanished. There Was Nothing In Me. Nothing At All. I Was Empty. “get Out,” I Said.

Even Christian—the Poster Child For "smartass"—looked Grim.

What Hope Is There?” I Asked. “if Even Angels Fall, What Hope Is There For The Rest Of Us?” “there Isn’t,” He Said. “we’re On Our Own. And We Have To Make The Choices We Think Are Best For Our Own Survival.

I Think Adrian Really Likes You. Like, In A Wanting-to-be-serious Way." "nope. He Likes Me In A Wanting-to-get-the-clothes-off-the-cute-dhampir Way.

Who’s She? Just Another Ivashkov. There Are Tons Of Them. Probably Because All The Guys Like Adrian And Have All Sorts Of Illegitimate Children." "adrian Doesn’t Have Any Children." "that We Know Of.

Adrian Ordered A Martini, Earning Disapproving Looks From His Father And Me. "it's Barely Noon," Said Nathan. "i Know," Said Adrian. "i'm Surprised I Held Out That Long Too.

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.

While I'm Fine With You Two Dating And Being Happy, Please Try Not To Break His Heart Too Much When The Time Comes.

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

I Felt Like Someone Had Ripped My Heart Out And Tossed It Across The Other Side Of The Room. There Was A Burning, Agonizing Pain In My Chest, And I Had No Idea How It Could Ever Be Filled. It Was One Thing To Accept That I Couldn't Have Dimitri. It Was Something Entirely Different To Realize Someone Else Could.

There's Nothing Worse Than Waiting And Not Knowing What'll Happen To You. Your Own Imagination Can Be Crueler Than Any Captor.

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?

Whoa, Dimitri," I Said, Tossing My Bag On The Floor. "i Realize This Is Actually A Current Hit In Eastern Europe Right Now, But Do You Think We Could Maybe Listen To Something That Wasn't Recorded Before I Was Born?” Only His Eyes Flicked Toward Me; The Rest Of His Posture Remained The Same. "what Does It Matter To You? I'm The One Who's Going To Be Listening To It. You'll Be Outside Running.

I'm Really Not Good With Impulse Control.

Impulse Control

But I’m Just Going To Be Out There Having A Tea Party With Her Cats Or Whatever It Is She Has In Mind." Adrian

Bound By Love, But Sworn To Kill.

The Door Opened, And We Were Met By A Fifty-something Man With A Grizzled Blond Beard. He Was Wearing Bermuda Shorts And A Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt. Also, He Had An Eye Patch. "this Is Incredible," I Heard Adrian Murmur. "beyond My Wildest Dreams.

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.

Who... Who Are You?' I Asked At Last. It Was True. I Had Left A Body In The Park, But Seriously, What Was I Supposed To Do? Drag Him Back To My Hotel And Tell My Bellhop My Friend Had Had Too Much To Drink?

Everything's About My Personal Entertainment. The World Is My Stage. Keep It Up- You're Becoming A Star Performer In The Show.

Because I’ve Got A Lot More Terms Of Endearment To Use. Honey Pie. Sugarplum. Bread Pudding," “why Are They All High-calorie Foods?

Besides, When Not Hard At Work With This Research, I'm Actually Conducting A Side Experiment On How Cigarettes And Gin Increase Charisma. As You Might Guess, The Results Are Looking Very Promising.

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

We All Screw Up. Everyone Makes Mistakes. That’s What She Did. It Was Bad Judgment, That’s All. You Don’t Cut Off The People You Love For Mistakes Like That.

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.

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.

That's Smart. Once Sonya's Able To Talk, We'll Need To Move." He Smiled. "sydney's Turning Into A Battle Mastermind." "hey, She's Not In Charge Here," I Teased. "she's Just A Soldier." "right." He Lightly Brushed His Fingers Against My Cheek. "sorry, Captain." "general," I Corrected, Catching My Breath At That Brief Touch.

Everything Iʹd Been Taught About Eluding Someone Came Rushing Back To My Head. What I Wanted To Do More Than Anything Was Look Around And See If I Had A Follower, But That Would Have Definitely Attracted Attention.

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

People Have Always Had A Fascination With The Supernatural Going Back To The Beginning Of Time And With Vampires In Particular. This Phenomenon Is Not New.

Are You Crazy?" I Asked. He Gave Me The Same Wordless Look He Always Did When I Asked That Question.

She Snuggled Back Under The Blanket With Me, Turned Toward Me So That She Could Rest Her Head On My Chest. “i Hear Your Heart,” She Said. “do You Check Every Once In A While, Just To Make Sure I’m Not Undead?

And I Told You, I'm Not Going To Pursue Another Man's Girlfriend. You Want To Talk Honor. There It Is In Its Purest Form

This Wasn’t The First Time I’d Been Pulled Out Of Bed For A Crucial Mission. It Was, However, The First Time I’d Been Subjected To Such A Personal Line Of Questioning. “are You A Virgin?

Um, Thanks,” She Said. It Was Nice To See One Woman Finally Immune To That Accent. That Wasn’t To Say Rose Wasn’t A Sucker For Accents. She Just Preferred Hers From The Other Side Of Europe.

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.

It Was The Most Convulted, Ridiculous Piece Of Logic I'd Heard In Awhile... It Was Something I Would Have Come Up With.

His Warmth Was All Around Me, As Was His Love, And Again, I Felt That Completeness. I Had That Missing Piece Of My Word Back. The Soul That Complemented Mine. My Match. My Equal. Not Only That, I Had My Life Back -my Own Life. I Would Protect Lissa, I Would Serve, But I Was Finally My Own Person.

Unbelievable," I Said. "first You Wanted To Hide Her Away To Keep You Alive. Now You Actually Want Her Out In The World To Use Her Compulsion For Your Own Psycho Plans.

You Forgot Another Lesson: Never Turn Your Back Until You Know Your Enemy Is Dead. Looks Like We’ll Have To Go Over The Lesson Again The Next Time I See You—which Will Be Soon. Love, D.

I Looked Him In The Eye. “i Will Always Love You.” Then I Plunged The Stake Into His Chest.

Vampire Academy

Only A True Best Friend Can Protect You From Your Immortal Enemies.

My God, Sage. Your Eyes. How Have I Never Noticed Them?" That Uncomfortable Feeling Was Spreading Over Me Again. "what About Them?" "the Color," He Breathed. "when You Stand In The Light. They're Amazing... Like Molten Gold. I Could Paint Those..." He Reached Toward Me But Then Pulled Back. "they're Beautiful. You're Beautiful.

I’m Not A Warrior Or A Goddess,” I Said At Last. Adrian Leaned Closer. “as Far As I’m Concerned, You’re Both.

Immortals Are, By Definition, Immortal. End Of Story.

Tradition Or Not, I Sometimes Thought Putting Children On An Old Guy’s Lap Was Already Creepy Enough. We Didn’t Need To Mix Alcohol Into It.

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.

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