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When I Talked To Him Earlier, He Said He Had To Work Tonight,” Peter Explained, “but That We Should Go Ahead And Draw For Him.” “draw?” I Asked Uneasily. “oh Lord. Tell Me It’s Not Pictionary Night Too.” Peter Sighed Wearily. “draw For Secret Santas. Do You Even Read The E-mails I Send?” “secret Santas? Seems Like We Just Did That,” I Said. “yeah, A Year Ago,” Said Peter. “just Like We Do Very Christmas.

-Richelle Mead

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When I Talked To

Richelle Mead

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When I Talked To Him Earlier, He Said He Had To Work Tonight,” Peter Explained, “but That We Should Go Ahead And Draw For Him.” “draw?” I Asked Uneasily. “oh Lord. Tell Me It’s Not Pictionary Night Too.” Peter Sighed Wearily. “draw For Secret Santas. Do You Even Read The E-mails I Send?” “secret Santas? Seems Like We Just Did That,” I Said. “yeah, A Year Ago,” Said Peter. “just Like We Do Very Christmas.

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So, Tell Me This: Suppose You Manage To Kidnap Her Again And Take Her Off To The Mall. While You're There A Strigoi Comes At You. What Will You Do? Depends On What Store We're In.

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.

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

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.

You Are So Beautiful, It Hurts Me Sometimes. -dimitri To Rose

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 . . . ?

Are You Some Kind Of Mutant Human? Like A Fire User? And I Use Mutant As A Compliment, You Know. I Wouldn’t Think Less Of You.

Compliments You

But It's Not The Name I'd Give To A Conqueror Of Worlds... I Would've Gone With Thundro Or Ragnor. I Might Just Call Him Thundro Anyway.

Okay," I Said, Clasping Her Hand. "i Swear It. The Next Time I Do Something Stupid That Might Get Me Killed, You Can Come Along.

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

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.

Can't You Ever Get Off For Good Behavior?" "sure, If I Was Ever Good.

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

(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.

No. . .i Mean, I'm Sorry He. . .you Know, Said Those Things To You." "it's Part Of Being A 'good' Family. Everyone's Got Skeletons In Their Closet.

This Was The Kind Of Dress That Changed The World. The Kind Of Dress That Started Religions.

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.

Guilt Was Its Own Prison.

Cool,” I Said. “you Can Im With The Council From Campus. Maybe You Can Command People To Do Your Homework.

I'd Never Expected My First Time To Be In A Cabin In The Woods, But I Realized The Place Didn't Matter. The Person Did. With Someone You Loved, You Could Be Anywhere, And It Would Be Incredible. Being In The Most Luxurious Bed In The World Wouldn't Matter If You Were With Someone You Didn't Love.

I Looked At You... And Saw Your Goodness, Your Hope, And Your Faith. Those Are What Make You Beautiful. So, So Beautiful. So It Was't My Hair?

In This One Terrified Moment, My Mind Couldn’t Focus On Any Of It. “i’ve Forgotten Everything.” “no, You Haven’t.” His Voice In The Darkness Was Calm And Reassuring. He Smoothed Back My Hair And Pressed One Of Those Half Kisses To My Forehead. “just Relax And Focus." “his Reasonable Words Centered Me And Allowed The Gears Of Logic That Ran My Life To Take Over Again.

What Are You, Rose Hathaway? Are You Real? You're A Dream Within A Dream. I'm Afraid Touching You Will Make Me Wake Up. You'll Disappear.

Adrian Suddenly Made An Abrupt Turn Onto A Side Street We'd Nearly Driven Past. I Jerked Upright As He Clipped The Curb. "what Are You Doing? Think About Your Tires!

No,''he Said.''i Was A Strigoi. I Was One Of Them. I Did...terrible Things.'' The Words Were Mild, But The Tone Of His Voice Spoke Legions. The Radiant Faces Of His Family Turned Sober.''i Was Lost. Beyond Hope. Except...rose Believed In Me. Rose Never Gave Up.

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.

She Heard Adrian Say To Christian, ʺyou Know, Your Shirtʹs Kind Of Grungy-looking. Seems Like You Could Put In A Little More Effort Since Youʹre Dating A Princess.ʺ

You And I Have Never Liked Each Other, Rose. If I’ve Got To Kill Someone, It Might As Well Be You.

Adrian Looked Away From Me And Down To Where My Hand Covered His. I Blushed And Pulled Away. “sorry” I’d Probably Freaked Him Out

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

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 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.

Do Not Do That Again," He Said Stiffly. "don't Kiss Me Back Then," I Retorted. He Stared At Me For What Seemed Like Forever. "i Don't Give 'zen Lessons' To Hear Myself Talk. I Don't Give Them Because You're Another Student. I'm Doing This To Teach You Control." "you're Doing A Great Job," I Said Bitterly.

Angeline Made A Few More Attempts To Break Away, But When It Became Clear She Couldn't, Those Around Us Began Whistling And Cheering. A Few Moments Later, That Dark And Furious Look Vanished From Angeline's Face, Replaced By Resignation. I Eyed Her Warily, Not About To Let Down My Guard. "fine," She Said. "i Guess It's Okay. Go Ahead." "huh? What's Okay?" I Demanded. "it's Okay If You Marry My Brother." (next Chapter) "it's Not Funny!" "you're Right,"agreed Sydney, Laughing Hysterically. "it's Not Funny. It's Hilarious.

Hey Sydney," She Said, Giving Me A Small, Crooked Smile As She Entered The Room. Her Flashing, Dark Eyes Were Friendly, But They Were Also Assessing Everything In The Room, Much As Eddie's Gaze Was. It Was A Guardian Thing. Rose Was About My Height And Dressed Very Casually In Jeans And A Red Tank Top. But, As Always, There Was Something As Exotic And Dangerous About Her Beauty That Made Her Stand Out From Everyone Else. She Was Like A Tropical Flower In This Dark, Stuffy Room. One That Could Kill You.

Dimitri: "were You Really Going To Attack All Of Us? Doing That...protecting Her Like That - It Was Very Brave. Stupid, But Still Brave. Why Did You Even Try It?" Rose: "because I'm Her Guardian."

Adrian: I Can Visit People In Their Dreams. Christian: Stop. I Can Feel There Is A Comment Coming On About How Women Already Dream About You. I Just Ate, You Know.

ʺwhy,ʺ He Began Slowly, ʺis Victor Dashkov Joining Us?ʺ ʺwell, Itʹs Kind Of A Funny Story . . .ʺ

Even Now, Despite Angeline's Watchfulness, She'd Occasionally Oscillate Between Random Topics, Like How Shepherd's Pie Wasn't A Pie At All And Why It Was Pointless For Her To Take Class In Typing When Technology Would Eventually Develop Robot Companions To Do It For Us.

We’re Suckers For This, Sydney. Men. You’ve Got Me Completely Helpless Right Now. You’re So Beautiful And Alluring, And We Guys Can’t Help Ourselves. We Fight Wars For You, Cajole You . . . And You Put Up With Us. We Have It Easy Here In Bed.” She Turned My Face Toward Hers. “this Wasn’t Exactly Difficult For Me.” “but We Still Have It Easy. You’re The Strength, The Pillars . . . Our Defenders, Our Children’s Defenders.

We Need To Get Inside. I Think My Hair Gel’s Frozen.

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.

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.

Longing Surged Up Within Me. I Wanted It. Oh God, I Wanted It. I Didn't Want To Hear Jerome Chastise Me For My "all Lowlifes, All The Time" Seduction Policy. I Wanted To Come Home And Tell Someone About My Day. I Wanted To Go Out Dancing On The Weekends. I Wanted To Take Vacations Together. I Wanted Someone To Hold Me When I Was Upset, When The Ups And Downs Of The World Pushed Me Too Far. I Wanted Someone To Love.

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

Morning Inspirational

Nah. I’m A Consultant, Of Course. Everyone’s Favorite Nondescript Yet Well-paid White-collar Job.

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

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?

Donʹt Worry Now About What You Canʹt Change. Rest When You Can So Youʹll Be Ready For Tomorrowʹs Battles

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?

Who Is He?" "an Idiot, Said Adrian. "makes Me Look Like An Upstanding Member Of Society.

What?" I Asked Uneasily. "why Are You Looking At Me Like That?" He Shook His Head, The Smile Rueful Now. "because Sometimes, A Person Can Get So Caught Up In The Details That They Miss The Whole. It's Not Just The Dress Or The Hair. It's You. You're Beautiful. So Beautiful, It Hurts Me.

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.

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

After The Bitching I'd Done To Abe About Going To Remote, Crappy Places, I Should Have Been Excited About The Prospect Of Going To Sin City.

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

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.

‎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.

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.

I Thought I'd Finally Get To Relax With Dimitri.

That's The Great Thing About Being A Writer. You Dream Up Amazing Questions... And Then Dream Up Even More Amazing Answers.

By The Way, My Name's Rose Hathaway. I'm Seventeen Years Old, Training To Protect And Kill Vampires, In Love With A Completely Unsuitable Guy, And Have A Best Friend Whose Weird Magic Could Drive Her Crazy. Hey, No One Said High School Was Easy.

It’s Kahlua, Sage. Packed With Sugar And Coffee Flavor.

I Think I’ve Got Something Else To Help Center My Life.

Metaphors. This Was The Cost Of Making Out With An Artist.

Anger Based On Calculated Reason Is More Dangerous Than Anger Based On Blind Hate

And Hey, If I Keep Loving You, Maybe You'll Eventually Crack And Love Me Too.

We've Had To Deal With So Many Complications. We're Still Dealing With Them. And What Can We Do? Nothing - Well, Unless We Take Your Side's Point Of View And Make Deals With The Devil. But Why? Why Can't We Make Deals With God? People Do All The Time. 'god, If You Do This For Me, I Promise To Be Good.' Stuff Like That. Yeah, But I Don't See Any Contracts Like You Guys Have. No Hard Evidence That It Works. How Come We Can Only Get Things We Want By Being Bad? Why Can't We Get Them By Being Good?

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

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.

What's Going On?" He Asked, Looking From Face To Face. "i Was Having A Good Dream." "i Need You," Said Lissa. "i Hear That From Women A Lot," Said Adrian. Christian Made A Gagging Sound, But The Faintest Glimmer Of A Smile Crossed Eddie's Lips, Despite His Otherwise Tough Guardian-stance.

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

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.

I Don't Think Most People Take Honest Well. They Prefer The Games. They Want To Believe The Pretty Lies.

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.

He Shrugged. "the Same As Any Other. It's A Way To Make People Feel Better About Themselves. Everyone Likes Feeling Special. Being Part Of An Elite Group Is A Way To Do That." "but You Weren't Part Of It?" "no Need. I Already Know I'm Special.

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

Call Me Crazy For Asking This, But, Um, Are Lissa And I Going With You?" "no" "no?" "no.

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.

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?

I Hadn't Gotten Far When I Ran Into Mason. Good God. Men Everywhere.

Brayden Met My Eyes. His Were Hazel, Almost Like Eddie’s But With A Little Green. Not As Much Green As Adrian’s, Of Course. No One’s Eyes Were That Amazingly Green.

In The Real World, You Can Make Your Own Miracles.

Mmm. O Positive, My Favorite.” “is It? I Thought It Was A Cabernet Sauvignon.” “so It Is,” Said Adrian, Straight-faced. “my Mistake.

Oh God. Why, Oh Why, Did I Have To Be The One To Deliver This News? Why Couldn’t I Be Locked Away In My Room Or The Library Doing Something Enjoyable, Like Homework?

My Heart Shattered. My World Shattered

Some Rules Are Bigger Than The Universe.

Because There Is No Greater Evil Than Ignorance And The Destruction Of Genius. Ignorance Has Been Responsible For More Death, More Bigotry, And More Sin Than Any Other Force. It Is The Destroyer Of Mankind.

We Had An Endless Supply Of Topics, Both Of Us Eager To Put Forth All We Knew On Anything And Everything. Most Of The Meal Was Spent Discussing The Intricacies Of The Organic Certification Process. It Was Pretty Awesome.

Anything And Everything

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.

Abe Glanced At Rose. "you See That?" He Said. "now That's Devotion." She Rolled Her Eyes At Him.

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.

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

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

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.

Roza, My Self-control Is Ten Times Stronger Than Yours." I Opened My Eyes, Shifting To Look Into His. I Brushed His Hair Back And Smiled, Certain My Heart Would Expand And Expand Until There Was Nothing Left Of Me. "oh Yeah? That's Not The Impression I Just Got." "wait Until Next Time," He Warned. "i'll Do Things That'll Make You Lose Control Within Seconds.

There's A Reason They Say,"pride Goeth Before A Fall.

The Book's Always Better Than The Movie.

Is She For Real?” He Paused And Reconsidered. “are You For Real? Spells? Magic? I Mean, Don’t Get Me Wrong. I Drink Blood And Control People’s Minds. But I’ve Never Heard Of Anything Like This.

Sydney: "you Can Be Jet If You Want, But We Are Not Posing As A Couple Again" Adrian: "are You Sure? Because I've Got A Lot More Terms Of Endearment To Use. Honey Pie. Sugarplum. Bread Pudding." Sydney: "why Are They All High-calorie Foods? And Bread Pudding Isn't Really That Romantic." Adrian: "do You Want Me To Call You Celery Stick Instead? It Just Doesn't Inspire The Same Warm And Fuzzy Feelings." - The Indigo Spell

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

Dimitri: "why Did You Come Here?" Rose: "because You Hit Me On The Head And Dragged Me Here.

Eugenie, My Sweet, Your Outraged Protests Are Adorable, But They Only Continue To Slow Us Down. If You Want Me To Help You, Then Let Me. If You Don't, Then Take Me To One Of Those Places Where Human Women Wear Revealing Clothing And Quickly Lose Their Virtue Through Alcohol.

He Stepped Back And Threw His Arms Out. "i'm Always Crazy Around You Rose. Here, I'm Going To Write An Impromptu Poem For You." He Tipped His Head Back And Shouted To The Sky: "rose Is In Red But Never In Blue Sharp As A Thorn Fights Like One Too.

Some People Read Books For Fun.

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.

John Cusack Is Standing Over There.” I Followed His Incredulous Gaze To Where A Man Very Like Mr. Cusack Did Indeed Stand, Smoking A Cigarette As He Leaned Against A Building. I Sighed. “that’s Not John Cusack. That’s Jerome.” “seriously?” “yup. I Told You He Looked Like John Cusack.” “keyword: Looked. That Guy Doesn’t Look Like Him. That Guy Is Him.

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.

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.

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

No," Dimitri Interrupted Gently. He Moved His Face Toward Mine, Our Foreheads Nearly Touching. "it Won't Happen To You. You're Too Strong. You'll Fight It, Just Like You Did This Time." "i Only Did Because You Were Here." He Wrapped His Arms Around Me, And I Buried My Face In His Chest. "i Can't Do It By Myself," I Whispered. "you Can," He Said. There Was A Tremulous Note In His Voice. "you're Strong—you're So, So Strong. It's Why I Love You.

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.

We Try To Do What's Right, Or Rather What Other Say Is Right. But Sometimes, When That Goes Against Who We Are...you Have To Choose.

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.

For Once, You're Going To Hear Something That Doesn't Fit Into Your Neat, Compartmentalized World Of Order And Logic And Reason.

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?

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

Wow,” Said Adrian. He Sat Down On The Bed And Tested Its Bounciness, Giving It A Nod Of Approval. “this Is Amazing. What Do You Think, Buttercup?” “i Have No Words,” I Said Honestly. He Patted The Spot Beside Him. “want To Try It Out?

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.

Hey, Sydney. I Thought I Saw Your Car Out There." He Glanced Around. "is, Uh, Jill With You?" "not Today." I Said. New Insight Struck Me As I Recalled That Lee Attended School In Los Angeles. "lee, Have You Ever Dated A Human Girl At Your School?" Adrian Arched An Eyebrow. "are You Asking Him Out, Sage?" I Scowled. "no!

Come On Outside When Youʹre Done,ʺ I Told Her. ʺitʹs Like The Barbecue Of The Damned. Except . . . Thereʹs No Grill.

Adrian Sifted Through The Bags And Pulled Out A Slice Of Coconut Cream. "if I Were A Dragon, This Is What I'd Go For." I Didn't Argue, Mainly Because That Statement Had No Logical Argument.

Logical Arguments

I Want You To Go Back To Tucson And Bring Me The Bottle Of Tequila I Keep In My Liquor Cabinet. And Don't Scare Tim." Volusian Remained Motionless In That Way Of His. "my Mistress Grows Increasingly Creative In Her Ways To Torment Me." "i Thought You'd Appreciate It." "only In So Much As It Inspires Me To Equally Creative Means To Rip You Apart When I Am Able To Break Free Of These Bonds And Finally Destroy You." "you See? There's A Silver Lining To Everything. Now Hurry Up.

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

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

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

Ooh. Top Secret Angel Business, Huh? What’re You Going To Do? Dance On A Pinhead? Lobby For National Cute Puppy Day?

Staring Into The Mirror, I Was Surprised To See A Haunted Look In My Brown Eyes. There Was Pain There, Pain And Loss That Even The Nicest Dress And Makeup Couldn't Hide.

But When The Other End Of The Line Picked Up, It Was His Voicemail That Answered, Not The Man Himself. "i Know How Devastated You Must Be To Miss Me," His Cheery Voice Said, "but Leave A Message, And I'll Try To Ease Your Agony As Soon As Possible.

You See Something You Like?

I'd Realized Then Just How Strong Our Connection Was, How Perfectly We Understood Each Other. I'd Been Skeptical About People Being Soul Mates In The Past, But At That Moment, I Knew It Was True. And The Emotional Connection Had Come A Physical One. Dimitri And I Had Finally Given In To The Attraction. We'd Sworn We Never Would, But... Well, Our Feelings Were Just Too Strong. Staying Away From Each Other Had Turned Out To Be Impossible. ~rose, Pg.74

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.

So Far I’m Not Seeing A Lot Of Difference Between Me And A Carnival Con-man.

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.

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.

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.

You’re A Solid Person, Sage. You’re Easy On The Eyes, If A Little Skinny, And Your Ability To Memorize Useless Information Is Going To Totally Hook In Some Guy.

It's Worth It. It's Worth Giving Up The Sun And Magic.

Oh," He Said To Kiyo, Voice Completely Devoid Of Emotion. "i See. It's Your Turn Again.

Rose Hathaway: "you See Something You Like?" Dimitri Belikov: "get Dressed.

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.

When I Talked To Him Earlier, He Said He Had To Work Tonight,” Peter Explained, “but That We Should Go Ahead And Draw For Him.” “draw?” I Asked Uneasily. “oh Lord. Tell Me It’s Not Pictionary Night Too.” Peter Sighed Wearily. “draw For Secret Santas. Do You Even Read The E-mails I Send?” “secret Santas? Seems Like We Just Did That,” I Said. “yeah, A Year Ago,” Said Peter. “just Like We Do Very Christmas.

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.

What's Up?" Christian Asked. "need Some Hairstyling Tips?" "tips You Stole From Me? No Thanks. But I Hear You've Got A Really Good Bacon Meatloaf Recipe." It Was Worth It Then And There To See His Complete And Total Surprise. "since When Do You Cook?" He Finally Managed To Stammer. "oh, You Know. I'm A Renaissance Man. I Do It All. Send It If You've Got It, And I'll Give It A Try. I'll Let You Know If I Make Any Improvements." His Smirk Returned. "are You Trying To Impress A Girl?" "with Cooking?" I Pointed At My Face. "this Is All It Takes, Ozera.

You're Not As Much Of A Lost Cause As She Was. I Mean, With Her, I Had To Overcome Her Deep, Epic Love With A Russian Warlord. You And I Just Have To Overcome Hundreds Of Years' Worth Of Deeply Ingrained Prejudice And Taboo Between Our Two Races. Easy.

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.

Being Charming Is My Hobby.

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.

Dimitri: "don't Look At Me Like That." Rose: "like What?" Dimitri: "you've Got This Look On Your Face That Says You Think I'm Delusional, But You're Too Nice To Say Anything.

Things Die. But They Don't Always Stay Dead. Believe Me, I Know.

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.

How Was It That Adrian Ivashkov, Who Never Seemed To Take Anything Seriously Was The Only One Among These "responsible" People Who Paid Attention To Such Small Details? How Was He The Only One To Really Understand The Magnitude Of What I Was Feeling?

Just Because Things Don't Work Out, It Doesn't Mean There Aren't Other People You Can't Love. Love Is Too Big A Thing For You To Go Without It In Life.

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

I Secretly Wondered If Dimitri's Problem Might Be That He Was Jealous. He Hadn't Pulled Lissa Aside To Yell At Her. The Thought Made Me Slightly Happy, But Then I Remembered My Earlier Curiosity About Why Dimitri Had Even Wandered By.

If I Was Drunk, I Wouldn’t Be Here At All. And Really, This Is Pretty Good For Four White Russians.” “white What?” I Almost Sat Down But Was Afraid The Chair Might Dematerialize Beneath Me. “it’s A Drink,” He Said. “you’d Think I Wouldn’t Be Into Something Named That—you Know, Considering My Own Personal Experience With Russians. But They’re Surprisingly Delicious. The Drinks, Not Real Russians.

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

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."

Wait. You Think I'm Going To Die? That's Why You Slept With Me?

Like I Said Before, I Don't Know How Helpful Inez Will Be, " She Explained. "she's Very Eccentric And Controlled By Her Whims. If She Likes You, She Might Tell You Something. If She Doesn't, Well..." Ms. Terwilliger Shrugged. "then Maybe We'll Have Time For Photo Ops." "score," Said Adrian. When I Shot Him A Look, He Added Quickly, "but Of Course She'll Like You.

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

What's Purple Mean?" Adrian Put His Hand On The Door. "gotta Go, Sage. Dont Want To Keep Dorothy Waiting

Sydney Had Been Horrified To Discover My Home Library Consisted Of A Bartending Dictionary And An Old Copy Of Esquire, And At Her Pleading, I'd Promised To Read Something More Substantial. I Was Trying To Think Deep Thoughts As I Read Gatsby, But Mostly I Wanted To Throw Some Parties.

It Was A Lame Excuse, And I Knew That Wasn't The Reason He Was Canceling. If He Wanted To Avoid Me, I Would Have Preferred He Made Up Something About How He And The Other Guardians Had To Up Moroi Security Or Practice Top-secret Ninja Moves.

Yeah? What'd You Name All Those Cats?" Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, And Mr. Whiskers." You Named Your Cats After The Riders Of The Apocal--wait. Mr. Whiskers?" Well, There Are Only Four Horsemen.

The Greatest And Most Powerful Revolutions Often Start Very Quietly, Hidden In The Shadows. Remember That.

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.

What Is It With You And Frozen Desserts Why Do You Always Want Them?" "because We Live In A Dessert.

You…you Need To Move On,” I Managed. Yes, That Was A Sound Reason. “you Need To Find Someone Else. You Know I Don’t—that I Can’t. Well, You Know. You’re Wasting Your Time With Me.” He Remained Firm. “it’s My Time To Waste.

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

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.

I Didn't Like Having Reasonable Arguments Thrown At Me.

What Were Good And Evil, Really, But Stupid Categories? Stupid Categories That Restricted People And Punished Or Rewarded Them Based On How They Responded To Their Own Natures, Natures They Really Didn't Have Any Way To Control.

Love Is Rarely Flawless,” Carter Pointed Out. “humans Delude Themselves By Thinking It Has To Be. It Is The Imperfection That Makes Love Perfect.

The Love In His Eyes Was So Powerful, I Needed To Look Away. Seth Had An Amazing Grasp Of The English Language, But There Were Days When That Skill Was Nothing Compared To What He Told Me In His Looks.

I Was So Tired Of Being Told Reasonable, Practical Things Whenever Something Went Wrong With My Life.

Thats Why Your Doing This? Because Lissa Told You To?

I Get In That Kind Of Situation All The Time, Comrade. It's Not A Big Deal." Anger Replaced My Fear. I Didn't Like Being Treated Like A Child. "stop Calling Me That. You Don't Even Know What You're Talking About." "sure I Do. I Had To Do A Report On The R.s.s.r. Last Year.

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.

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.

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.

Blake Smiled Radiantly. ʺmay I Call You Vasilisa?ʺ ʺyou Can Call Me Lissa.ʺ ʺyou Can Also,ʺ Added Christian, ʺlet Go Of Her Hand Now.

You Should've Just Gotten A Kids' Meal.” Adrian Told Me, Pointing To My Half-eaten Burger And Fries. “you Could've Saved Me A Lot Of Money. And Gotten A Toy.

I Was So Awash In Sensory Overload That I Was Caught Completely Unaware When He Did Push Me Away

Pushing Me Away

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.

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.

Can't You . . . I Don't Know. Find A Hobby Or Something?" "being Charming Is My Hobby," Said Adrian Obstinately. "i'm The Life Of The Party— Even Without Drinking. I Wasn't Meant To Be Alone.

I Saw Him Because I See Everything. Easy When No One Notices You.

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

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

The Choices We Made Today Were Templates For The Future.

So. You’re Saying My Sister’s Dressed Like A Prostitute

We Can't Stop Living Because Other People Are Dead.

When He Finished, He Drank From The Cup. Everyone Else Did Too, So I Followed Suit. And Nearly Choked To Death. It Was Like Fire In Liquid Form. It Took Every Ounce Of Strength I Had To Swallow It And Not Spray It On Those Around Me. "wh...what Is This?" I Asked, Coughing. Viktoria Grinned. "vodka." I Peered At The Glass. "no, It Isn't. I've Had Vodka Before." "not Russian Vodka." Apparently Not.

Jailbait," He Declared, Leaping Up. "you're A Saint. A Goddess, Even.

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

My Hatred Notwithstanding, I Had To Admit Dimitri Beli-whatever Was Pretty Smart

Adrian Smiled And Clasped My Hands, Taking A Few Steps Toward Me. "and As For Who You Are, You’re The Same Beautiful, Brave, And Ridiculously Smart Caffeinated Fighter You’ve Been Since The Day I Met You.” Finally, He Put “beautiful” At The Top Of His List Of Adjectives. Not That I Should Have Cared. “sweet Talker,” I Scoffed. “you Didn’t Know Anything About Me The First Time We Met.” “i Knew You Were Beautiful,” He Said. “i Just Hoped For The Rest.

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.

Her Eyes Flicked Over The Cards, Looked At Dimitri, Then Looked Back At The Cards. Her Expression Was Blank. "you Will Lose What You Value Most, So Treasure It While You Can." She Pointed To The Wheel Of Fortune Card. "the Wheel Is Turning, Always Turning.

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