Adrian gave me a look that said I was wasting his time. "Because Jet sounds badass.”

“So. Are you guys here to convert me or sell me siding?”

Not much could have distracted me from coffee, but hearing Julius Caesar quoted at Spencer’s certainly did.

“There’s no winning for us. We’re screwed. We were born into a system we don’t agree with, and we got caught. Here, out there, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing left for us.”

"No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'”

“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.”

Maybe I was in love, but I was still me, after all.

But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.

“You make me believe anything is possible,” I whispered. “I told you before, we’re the center,” she said. “And the center will hold.”

We fell into silence, both of us keeping our own secrets of what we'd suffered in the other's absence. I wondered if we were trying to protect each other or simply didn't want to admit to our own fears and weaknesses.

I was more convinced than ever that everyone needed someone to love—even scattered sorceresses and eyepatch-wearing self-defense instructors.

“Would’ve been here sooner,” growled Wolfe, calling the pack off with a quick gesture. “But that bitch tied me up. Had to wait for the dogs to gnaw through my ropes.”

"I was defending your honor." Adrian gave me that devil-may-care smile that always managed to both infuriate and captivate me. "Pretty manly, huh?”

I found myself overanalyzing the comment. What had he meant in saying 'even he' could admit it? That I was cute for a human? Or that I had just met some kind of Adrian hot-girl criteria?”

He looked up at me with angelic eyes. "Doing what?" "You know what. You're luring me in. You know I can't resist-”

“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.”

"I know." I said, surprised at how calm I sounded as I admitted that. "But I have to know something, and this may be my only chance."

“Would’ve been here sooner,” growled Wolfe, calling the pack off with a quick gesture. “But that bitch tied me up. Had to wait for the dogs to gnaw through my ropes.”

Adrian gave me a look that said I was wasting his time. "Because Jet sounds badass.”

Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated.