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....

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 thistime.””I only did because you were...

Dimitri’s voice snapped my attention back to him. “That’s Adrian Ivashkov.” He said the name the same way everyone else did. “Yeah, I know.””This is the second time I’ve seen you with him.””Yeah,” I replied...

Ah, well,ʺ said Abe, idly studying his fingertips. ʺI have it on good authority thereʹs going to be a new ‘gateʹ opening up soon over on the south side of the wall.”The truth dawned on...

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.

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...

Well. I’ve got a car.”An hour later, I vowed I’d never make fun of that Mazda again.

Jill’s face was hard when PE ended, and I had the feeling she was trying not to cry. I tried talking to her in the locker room, but she simply shook her head and headed...

The only thing true about what you just said was the storybook damsel part – and that only because you’re pretty enough to be one.

Guardian Belikov is the princess’s guardian now,” said Kirova, “Her sanctioned guardian.””You got cheap foreign labour to protect Lissa?

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...

The training part,” I guessed.”Yup. You’re going to be Dimitri’s partner.”A moment of funny silence fell, probably not noticeable to anyone except Dimitri and me. Our eyes met.”Guarding partner,” Dimitri clarified unnecessarily, like maybe he...

Dmitri was in my arms.

You could help someone else in a relationship. you could strengthen them and support them. but you couldn’t actually do everything for them. you couldn’t solve all their problems.

If you went twenty-four hours without cigarettes, I’d drink a can of pop. Regular pop. The whole can.”Isaw the glimmer of Adrian’s earlier smile returning. “You would not.””I totally would.” “Half a can would put...

My boyfriend was insanely sexy, vampire or not, and I couldn’t keep my hands off him.

Sage, did you just swear?

Bryan gaped, as though that was more than he’d been expecting. “Oh. Okay. Well, um, there’s a silent film festival downtown next week. Do you think you’d want to go?” I shook my head. “No,...

I’m into anything, so long as you’re with me.

Stay back,”I warned. “Stay away from him.” They kept coming. “Stay back!” I yelled. They stopped. Except for one. “Rose,” came a soft voice. “Drop the sword.” My hands shook. I swallowed. “Get away from...

I’m like a fine wine. I get better with age. The best is yet to come.

Make me an offer, ” I said at last. “Write it up, and give me a point-by-point outline of why you’re a good would-be suitor. ” He started to laugh, then saw my face. “Seriously?...

How many other people are there lurking off-screen?

You destroy my life then feed me inspirational philosophy.

I’m backing down now. I really do love you. That’s why I’m doing this.

‎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...

It was impossible to get the Dimitri and Tasha thing out of my head, but at least packing and getting ready made sure I didn’t devote 100 percent of my brain power to him. More...

God might work on mysterious ways, but hell worked on efficient ones.

There was a lot of apologizing going on, but I realized that was how it was with people you cared about. You forgave each other and moved on.

Good God. Men everywhere.

Simultaneously simple yet infinitely complex.” It sounded like my relationship with Adrian.

Well, that’s the most accurate thing you’ve said so far.”I grabbed the basket and jerked open the car door. Without another word, I stormed off, refusing to look back in case he saw the tears...

I had a standing arrangement with God: I’d agree to believe in Him -barely- as long as He let me sleep in on Sundays.

She kept the wish to herself, as she should have, and simply blew out the candle.I clapped and whistled and then dove into my own cupcake, dying to know how my creations tasted. And seeing...

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.

I’ve been wanting to do that for a very long time,” I growledVictor smiled through the pain and the blood. “Of course you have. I used to think Belikov was the savage one, but it’s...

Do you want me to call you Celery Stick instead of Cupcake or Honey-Pie? It just doesn’t inspire the same warm and fuzzy feelings.

Moroi shied from the sunlight but as I watched Sydney, I knew without a doubt that humans had been made for the sun.

Damn, you have no idea what I have been through today.””Actually I have a pretty good idea.

He broods a little. Okay … a lot.

All that mattered was that he was Adrian, my Adrian. My match. My partner in crime, in the long battle I’d just signed on for to right the wrongs in the Alchemist and Moroi worlds....

Adrian, you’re a genius.

You’ve asked me out tons of times.””Not really. I’ve made inappropriate suggestions and frequently pushed for nudity. But I’ve never asked you out on a real date.

That makes two of us.

Hey, Ivashkov! Open up. ” Avery argued. She kept pounding on the door and yelling, and finally, Adrian answered. His hair stuck up at odd angles, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He’d...

Sydney, I’m so happy to see you again. If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. And you must be Neil.””Your majesty.” Neil swept her a bow so low that his...

But I think I love you more than ever.

Vladimir did great things—so could she. Besides, they come first, right?””Not always.”I stared. I’d had they come first drilled into me since I was a child. It was what all guardians believed. Only the dhampirs...

A gun. I had been brought down by a gun. It was practically comical. Cheaters, I thought.

Life, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to care what we want.