Rose pictured him standing at the boundary of the Ogletree house in that enormous fur cape, with a giant sword sticking over his shoulder, roaring at the top of his lungs and then being upset...

You’re right, my problems are the biggest problems ever,” George said. “No, honestly, it’s horrible to be me. I’m rich, talented, and I make girls cry.””How do you make girls cry, exactly?”George turned to her....

Secret to what?””Secret to shutting you up,” he said. “I just have to beat you till you’re half-dead, then give you chicken soup and”–he raised his hands–“blessed silence.

I’ve read your summary.””And?””It’s not incompetent.”Be still, my heart, so I don’t faint from such faint phrase. “Did you expect it to be written in crayon?

I sighed and put Slayer between the front seats. “Stay here. Guard the car.”Saiman shut the door. “Is the sword sentient?””No. But I like to pretend it is.

My ego doesn’t need soothing. I don’t want him soothing anything of mine, including you.

He’s got mad skills.

On the other hand it was bad manners to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if you’re getting it from an overweight cracker in a fringe shirt.

What will you do for a dollar?

Oh, Gods.”His eyes shone with want and predatory satisfaction. “The name’s William. It’s a common mistake.

I’ve never created a riot before. I did cause a brawl at the last formal. A large number of young women there actually arrived with the expectation of seducing me into matrimony, and a couple...

Sex is about physical attraction, yes, but it’s also about trust. I don’t trust you. You’re completely self-absorbed and egoistic. You offer nothing I want.

He leaned his head to me, his neck so close to my lips, I felt the heat coming off his skin. His breath was warm against my ear. His voice was a ragged snarl. “I...

How was I supposed to know that you let two little bears hurt you, Goldilocks?””Ah, yes, that mouth. I missed it. All mine now.

We can do subtle,” I assured her.”It’s our middle name,” Andrea added.For some odd reason Rene didn’t look convinced.

When life backs you into a corner and offers you no escape, when your friends, your lover, and your family abandon you, when you’re at the end of your rope, panicked, alone, and losing your...

Two hours. More than enough time to kidnap a man. Or to slice his throat, bury him in the forest, and steal his magic project. How the hell did de Harven fit into it? Did...

Landon paced back and forth, his eyes a little wild. ‘’Well, he took it worse than I did,’’ Curran said. ‘’I don’t see what the big deal is.‘’‘’It’s a sword made out of your grandmothers...

She surveyed the carnage behind him. “Did you have fun?”He showed her his teeth. “Yes.

Well, in that case, your magic isn’t working. I’m still an asshole.

One day, she’d find a way to live her life to the fullest. She was sure of it. She just had no idea how she would manage it.

What do you mean fainted?Took a dive, kissed the pavement. Swooned like a southern belle after her first kiss. Had a dreadful case of the vapors.

Say ‘pop.'” “Pop?” “That was the sound of me pulling your head out of your ass.

The sound of my name in his voice stopped me in midturn. I don’t know how the hell he did it, but whenever he said my name, it cut through all other distractions and made...

The first magic wave kicked the world in the face.

You want to get married? I’ll marry you right now. Is the gnome a preacher, because I’ll do it.””That’s a hell of a proposal.””What did he say?” Astamur asked.”He wants me to marry him.”Astamur relayed...

In my experience, the ex-military guys came in two types. The first grew long hair, sprouted beards, and indulged in all the things they hadn’t been able do while they’d been in the armed forces....

Did I hurt you in the parking lot?””No, m’lady. I fell, so I could put a tracker on your car.”Great.

No, it’s human, Curran said. That’s the problem. People, especially unhappy people, want a cause. They want something to belong to, to be a part of something great and bigger, and to be led. It’s...

The first rule of etiquette a boy learns when he’s about to entersociety is that civility is due to all women. No provocation, nomatter how unjust and rudely delivered, can validate a man who failsto...

I decided.

The Beast Lord walked out of the warehouse. The screen went dark.My knight in furry armor.Saiman opened his mouth. “This is why I didn’t. Personally, I think your smile is inappropriate.

I thought of telling him that if it wasn’t for Oklahoman cowboys and Mexican whores having a bit of fun, there would’ve been no Texans, but that would be counterproductive.

Andrea raised her eyebrows. “Look at you, all high-speed.””Yeah, you’d think I was a detective or something.”Andrea held her hand out. “You’ll jinx it.

That’s the thanks I get for trying to keep you alive, Your Highness.

Your move.”Er. I was sitting atop the Beast Lord in my underwear, holding a knife to his throat. What the hell was my next move?

Why not? It’s natural selection. Just like nature.” I wrinkled my nose. “Boudas love this argument, because it gives them an excuse to do all the wrong things. ‘I’m sorry I screwed your sister and...

I know human nature. We might sacrifice a few, because we are stupid and hardwired for group survival. But we would never die in the thousands because a god wished it. Those kinds of numbers...

I said, I know why you’re afraid to fight with me.””And why is that?” If he flexed again, I’d have to implement emergency measures. Maybe I could kick some sand at him or something. Hard...

They had picked up Julie’s scent hit wolfsbane lost her and found her trail again at the crumbling Highway 23 except it was two hours old and mixed with horse scents. She was hitchhiking. Great....

Do you like my working persona?” Saiman asked softly. “An aesthetically pleasing combination of intelligence and elegance, wouldn’t you say?”Aren’t we pleased with ourselves. “Are you Chinese, Japanese, half-white? I can’t tell, your features are...

The decorator of Las Colimas must have been a great admirer of both early Aztec and late Taco Bell architectural styles.

I have to say, your technique is really different. Curran hammered at the spell until it broke. You just talk. Help me out here, what’s the strategy? Are you hoping the ward will get tired...

How is it different?”He rolled his head back, sable hair falling down on his shoulders. “With Rose I knew what to say. I could take a step back and talk to her. I remembered all...

She crouched with her hand out. What the hell was she doing… “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” Oh my God, she was retarded and I was going to kill Jim.

Aha. Keep telling yourself that.

Here, have another one.

You know anything about investigative work?””Sure. Annoy the people involved until the guilt party tries to make you go away.

I paused with the pen in my hand. “He burst into flames?””He became engulfed in fire.””Was his buddy made out of orange rocks and at any point yell, ‘It’s clobbering time’?

Obviously I was missing the whole picture. Any minute now he would leap up, wrench the two-inch silver alloy bars apart despite the fact that silver was toxic to shapeshifters, and heroically kick Saiman’s ass....