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.
Richelle Mead
Related I could have had someone else take care of my child but I did it because that was my moral obligatio... GLORIA ALLRED When she left, it was like someone had ripped my heart out, crumbled it up like a flimsy piece of lo... STEPH CAMPBELL And that's my comfort--that someone else was there and experienced the same thing. How else could I ... CRAIG THOMPSON And yet, I found I could survive. I was alert, I felt the pain - the aching loss that radiated out f... STEPHENIE MEYER I could feel a fire going up my arm, across my chest and out the top of my head. The only way I can ... DONNA KULFAN ...being Lulu, it made me realize that all my life I've been living in a small, square room, with no... GAYLE FORMAN I was not the one she was destined to say yes to. It was someone else, someone human and warm. And I... STEPHENIE MEYER I had never been this mad at her before. It was one thing to be attacked by someone you hated, but t... KAMI GARCIA I remember the moment when it hit me. I was walking down Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, an... MATISYAHU I knew that, in my whole life, if I married Aspen or someone else, no one would ever make me feel th... KIERA CASS He looked at the viewscreen and couldn’t believe it. If the other ship were any closer, then it wo... CHRISTINA ENGELA This time, there was no escape, I could not turn away, could not leave without accepting what I had ... VANESSA DIFFENBAUGH I'm from Naples. I was born in a poor neighborhood and I always, in my heart, felt like it would... GIULIANA RANCIC I felt like I had 1,000 pounds lifted off my chest. There was one thing in my career I hadn't accomp... ALEX CARUSO Even if it was just a water balloon, even if they didn't realize how much damage they were doing, th... BETH MARTIN I didn't think i could possibly love another baby as much as I loved the one I'd already had," I con... JODI PICOULT I had no idea. It was so hard waiting (before the awards ceremony). It was really suspenseful this y... HANNAH NOEL Years ago I had realized I was blaming myself for it. People and doctors would tell me it wasn't my ... ROBERT ANTHONY I was in so much pain. I had no idea what was happening to me. I was scared and fearful. Then a nurs... LARRY DOSSEY My father felt he had no choice. I felt that given time, something could have been worked out and th... DAVID BEHRING My heart no longer felt as if it belonged to me. It now felt as it had been stolen, torn from my che... MEREDITH T. TAYLOR The music I always liked as a kid was stuff I could bum out to and realize, 'Hey, someone else f... TRENT REZNOR If I was freer than I had ever been in my life, I was not yet entirely free, for I still hung on to ... WENDELL BERRY It was just all of a sudden. I thought it looked terrible back in there and I felt someone had to do... BETTY WILSON It was my brain. My swing was out of sync and my putter was a detriment. It would be scary if I had ... ARRON OBERHOLSER I had knockback after knockback before I got anywhere. After I got my first record deal I thought th... JESSIE J And in my heart I despised the life I led in Seattle. I was sick of it and had no idea how to change... TOBIAS WOLFF It seemed like the only thing to do was to crank the volume of my tape of British music in protest. ... JOE PERNICE She showed him something no one else had ever shown him; that it was possible to love someone more t... CARLOS SALINAS I never ever wanted to change my sport... Figure skating was my outlet, it was my breath, it was how... JOHNNY WEIR But with my mom it was different because I couldn't be my professional self. I had to be me - a daug... DIANE CROSSAN Even more, I had never meant to love him. One thing I truly knew - knew it in the pit of my stomach,... STEPHENIE MEYER Before Hurricane Katrina, I always felt like I could come back home. And home was a real place, and ... JESMYN WARD I had that one in my heart, and was thinking about it. It felt great. I cannot tell you how good it ... IVAN PEREZ The only time I felt I was different was when one of my friends said, 'I hate reading' and I... ADORA SVITAK I think someone else told him, ... He didn't even know who I was. It made me feel a little proud. I ... ERYKAH BADU What he really wanted (and it felt almost shameful to admit it to himself) was someone like — some... J.K. ROWLING Oh, no, someone asked me how fast did I think the offense was going to score. I said, 'I don't know.... DARNELL BING Why did you marry Dad, Mom?" My mother sniffled through her nose, looked at me, then smiled. <... MARGARET MCMULLAN Saying his name stabbed my heart, like someone had ripped through my carefully stitched up world and... COLLEEN HOUCK It was all I could do to keep from lunging across the table and pressing my shuttering lips against ... JENNIFER L. BROWN Nobody in my family was musical. I had no idea you could be a songwriter and make a living at it. It... VALERIE SIMPSON Guys get frustrated like Frankie did, and I understand that, ... If it had taken place out of sight,... ADRIAN BELTRE My own life was filled with so much love and joy that when depression struck, it was like a prison d... SUSAN POLIS SCHUTZ Doing 'All Good Things' really felt like I was acting for myself rather than anyone else. It... KIRSTEN DUNST I felt like it was a great secret when I found out that I could be in my 30s. KRISTIN HERSH It felt great to be on that stage in front of so many friends and family. It was different than figh... MAUREEN SHEA I think I've always had a sort of fantasy or dream that I would like to make a living playing music.... STING You could run from someone you feared, you could try to fight someone you hated. All my reactions we... STEPHENIE MEYER I was stressed and scared and I had to hurry to be someone, become something, do something. I was ru... CHARLOTTE ERIKSSON It wasn't about how she looked, which was pretty, even though she was always wearing the wrong cloth... KAMI GARCIA I refused to believe that someone who had a voice that angelic could be bad. I knew it was illogical... AMANDA GIASSON I had some big ups and downs when I was in my 20s and the one thing I learned was, no matter how low... DARREN ARONOFSKY I'd managed to bite a very large hole in the side of my tongue before they could pry my teeth ap... DICK YORK The next thing I know, it picked me up, my chair, with me on it, and threw me to the floor. I had a ... EDNA BEECHRAFT I lay there with my mind running amuck, on the brink of madness. And somehow, gradually, early Sunda... JOHN MARSDEN But he was wrong. Because I had fought with my heart and defeated it long ago. I was certainly not g... PAULO COELHO As I flew back from New Zealand to bury my mother, it occurred to me that no matter how harrowing he... JAMES NESBITT I had someone at the Houston police station shoot me with heroin so I could do a story about it. The... DAN RATHER When I noticed other people, I wondered what it was like to be alive. They did not know, could not k... JONATHAN ROTTENBERG I watch the back of Abel's head for a moment before opening the door. Coming to him was the right th... CELIA MCMAHON All of a sudden, I was in charge of my own decisions in the studio, and I didn't have someone to... JOHNNY MATHIS That was the strange thing - I didn't hate my father. He had wanted something. Like I wanted Suzanne... EMMA CLINE I was trying to explain my situation to myself. My situation was that I was in pain and nobody knew ... SUSANNA KAYSEN When I was in Taiwan, we were there for about 8 months, and I was 11 at the time, so it was definite... DAVID LAMBERT That was my first ever grand slam. I never even hit one in little league. It really felt good. I jus... BRANDON PHILLIPS At drama school nobody cared what shape my nose was and if I felt down I could be someone else for t... NIKKI SANDERSON The first rumor that I heard was probably a month and a half ago. I heard it more than once that som... DAVE LANE I stared down at my hands and saw the blood coat them, how warm and real something felt when it wasn... CHARLOTTE MUNRO I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; ... HARRIET TUBMAN Being named best drum major is beyond my control. I could have the best performance I have ever had,... AARON HIMES It was good to have Kelley's out there because it gave everybody a peace of mind that if something s... BOBBY HADLEY I treated despair in terms of hierarchy: if there was a more important pain in the world, it meant m... LUCY GREALY But it was different, somehow, to be reading it here, where the actual events had taken place all th... JENNIFER E. SMITH I have come to realize that destiny can hurt a person as much as it can bless them, and I find mysel... NICHOLAS SPARKS I've always loved horses. I had one horse when I was in high school, but I had to sell him becau... NICOLE JORDAN The delightful sense of importance that had been mine as a child actress was taken out of me. It see... MAUDE ADAMS And along with indifference to space, there was an even more complete indifference to time. "There s... ALDOUS HUXLEY A sharp pain in her chest became more intoxicating with each breath she took. There it was. The reas... COURTNEY GIARDINA I was totally shocked that a professional tax person could have done something like this to me. I ha... MAGGIE LOFTUS I'm here!" I said..."I'm read to go home!" As if they couldn't see me. As if I couldn't remember wha... CAROLYN TURGEON When we talked about "A Modest Proposal" I felt like I was running circles around everybody. I under... EDDIE HUANG By the time I was 29 I'd spent eight years with someone else's group of friends. I had no id... RACHEL HUNTER I was in a lot of pain going through the competition, so it wasn't the most enjoyable to compete in.... COURTNEY KUPETS It was my idea to come to America. It was a tough decision. I had to give up my friends and family, ... CAMILLE MOUTE I hid the fact that I had an aneurysm for a very long time. I was embarrassed, and I just felt like ... TAMALA JONES The last thing that scared me... it was probably something stupid, like when someone jumped out at m... REBECCA HALL I felt that what I had been standing on had collapsed and that I had nothing left under my feet. Wha... LEO TOLSTOY I watched my life as if it were happening to someone else. My son died. And I was hurt, but I... NEIL GAIMAN I hoped to see a lot of people, but I had no idea it was going to look like this. As far as I could ... BOB COLAROSSI I had no idea how greedy my heart really was. CAROL RIFKA BRUNT It was just an idea I had, that it could be cool to have a book covered in fake fur. DAVE EGGERS It was slow motion. I just saw her going down and there was nothing I could do about it because ther... KRISTOPHER SMITH Every writing teacher I ever had except for one told me I was an awful writer, had no idea what I wa... CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE Just minutes before I was doing this live pepper spray thing, I started getting a nasty headache. It... WAYNE PERRY I don't know where this pressure came from. I can't blame my parents because it has always felt inte... PORTIA DE ROSSI I didn’t know how I could live with that knowledge, without it eating me up, without it poisoning ... MAGGIE STIEFVATER It was clear that VA was in need of reform, and when the president asked for help, I could not say n... DAVID SHULKIN Appearing nude on film was not easy when I was twenty-six in Body Heat; it was even harder when I wa... KATHLEEN TURNER She told me that my rape was not my fault, that I should feel no shame, that – simple as it may so... ASPEN MATIS
More Richelle Mead
Where are you guys getting all of this?" I asked. "What does it matter if I - oh come on." We'd... RICHELLE MEAD Screw you," I told him in a low voice. "Are you offering?” "From what I've heard, there ... RICHELLE MEAD My muscles informed me they did not want to go through any more exercise today. So I suggest that ma... RICHELLE MEAD I had a standing arrangement with God: I'd agree to believe in him—barely—so long as he let me s... RICHELLE MEAD Come on, Hathaway," he said, taking my arm. "You can be my partner. Let’s see what you’ve been d... RICHELLE MEAD Oh, so that's why you're up here. For a pity party." "This isn't a joke. I'm serious." I ... RICHELLE MEAD I like him." "Like or like ? "Oh, there's a difference? RICHELLE MEAD The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any ... RICHELLE MEAD I didn't like having reasonable arguments thrown at me. RICHELLE MEAD He watched as I slipped one of the shoes on. "You have a guardian angel." "I don't believe in a... RICHELLE MEAD I'm really not good with impulse control. RICHELLE MEAD I fought against her, trying to mount some kind of defense, but it was like fighting Dimitri on crac... RICHELLE MEAD I get in that kind of situation all the time, Comrade. It's not a big deal." Anger replaced my fear.... RICHELLE MEAD Taking a deep breathe, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I walked away. RICHELLE MEAD Well he didn't treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things." "Like..." I hesitated. ... RICHELLE MEAD I crossed my arms over my chest. "Are you lost, little girl? The elementary school's over on west ca... RICHELLE MEAD When I saw you fall..." "You thought, 'Wow, she's a loser. RICHELLE MEAD The greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember... RICHELLE MEAD A ghostly smile flickered across his face. "If you weren't so psychotic, you'd be fun to hang around... RICHELLE MEAD Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own ... RICHELLE MEAD Lissa and I had been friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us up together for... RICHELLE MEAD You…you got rid of that dress fast," I pointed out between heavy breaths. "I thought you liked it.... RICHELLE MEAD Wow." I hadn't thought Dimitri could be any cooler, but I was wrong. "You beat up your dad. I mean, ... RICHELLE MEAD Dimitri: "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential—" Rose: "Wild and dis... RICHELLE MEAD The only thing better than imagining Dimitri carrying me in his arms was imagining him shirtless whi... RICHELLE MEAD The spell. Victor said you had to want me... to care about me... for it to work." When he didn't say... RICHELLE MEAD He stepped back and threw his arms out. "I'm always crazy around you Rose. Here, I'm going to w... RICHELLE MEAD I nearly dropped the plate I held. "You've asked me out tons of times." "Not really. I've... RICHELLE MEAD He'd written me up a proposal of why dating him was a sound decision. It had included things like "I... RICHELLE MEAD Hey, he's awesome. A little unstable, but awesome. We got along great." Adrian opened the door to th... RICHELLE MEAD Piece of Heaven?" "No, that other place I'm going to go to for thinking what I'm thinkin... RICHELLE MEAD I also never would have imagined I'd quote back a church lesson, but when the rest of the crowd stoo... RICHELLE MEAD Do you think I'm pretty? I think you're beautiful Beautiful? You are so beautiful, it... RICHELLE MEAD Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies. RICHELLE MEAD And than suddenly he was there, charging down the hallway like death in a cowboy duster. RICHELLE MEAD It's okay," I said soothingly. "You're just getting your stride back. Once you're up to full power, ... RICHELLE MEAD You can't force love, I realized. It's there or it isn't. If it's not there, you've got to be able t... RICHELLE MEAD I sprang toward him with the stake, hoping to catch him by surprise. But Dimitri was hard to catch b... RICHELLE MEAD What's up?" I asked. You tell me," he said. "You were the one about ready to start making... RICHELLE MEAD Sometimes talking to you is like talking to myself: pretty damned annoying. RICHELLE MEAD What’s going on?” he demanded. “The usual, old man,” I replied cheerily. “Danger, ins... RICHELLE MEAD Most fathers don't threaten to disembowel their daughter's boyfriends." "That's not true... RICHELLE MEAD You might not believe this, but there is no one like her at this school." "Oh I b... RICHELLE MEAD Our lips met hungrily, and his clever artistic hands wrapped around my hips. A sudden buzz from my r... RICHELLE MEAD What's that?" he asked, when I stood beside him again. "Halos," I said with a grin. "For ... RICHELLE MEAD Whatever happened to the dragon?" I mustered my primmest tone. "He has a name, you know."... RICHELLE MEAD She says you're not awake until you're actually out of bed and standing up. RICHELLE MEAD Adrian, I'm on a date. Why are you here? On my car? RICHELLE MEAD Your... Your aura. It's... amazing. It's shining. I mean, it always shines, but today... Well I've n... RICHELLE MEAD Then the best thing I can do is—" He froze. The brown eyes that had been narrowed with... RICHELLE MEAD Sometimes it's worth lingering on the journey for a while before getting to the destination. RICHELLE MEAD If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you. RICHELLE MEAD Stop fighting me!" he said, trying to pull on the arm he held. He was in a precarious pos... RICHELLE MEAD What If Following Her Heart Means Rose Could Lose Her Best Friend Forever? RICHELLE MEAD Do not do that again," he said stiffly. "Don't kiss me back then," I retorted. He stared a... RICHELLE MEAD He was too perfect, despite being one of the most imperfect people I knew. RICHELLE MEAD With a few swift steps, Adrian stood in front of me again. The wall was only a couple inches behind ... RICHELLE MEAD But each time you use spirit, you're more likely to go crazy.” “Already crazy about you, Sa... RICHELLE MEAD Wait,” he said. “That’s not a word.” I looked down to where, in a moment of despe... RICHELLE MEAD Are you in a suit?' I managed at last, my voice choking up. 'You didn’t have to dress up for me.'<... RICHELLE MEAD Look, Sage. I don't know much about chemistry or computer hacking or photosynthery, but this is some... RICHELLE MEAD So many details came into focus. The shape of his lips, the line of his neck. “I’m not dangerous... RICHELLE MEAD My nails dug into his back, and he trailed his lips down the edge of my chin, down the center of my ... RICHELLE MEAD I’m not a warrior or a goddess,” I said at last. Adrian leaned closer. “As far as I... RICHELLE MEAD I won’t lie. Walking into a room and seeing your girlfriend reading a baby-name book can kind of m... RICHELLE MEAD Because I’ve got a lot more terms of endearment to use. Honey pie. Sugarplum. Bread pudding." RICHELLE MEAD Don’t take the high ground and assume you already know what you’ll do. The truth is, when it com... RICHELLE MEAD Really, Sage? A date?” I sighed. “Yes, Adrian. A date.” “A real date. Not, like, d... RICHELLE MEAD You're not as much of a lost cause as she was. I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic lo... RICHELLE MEAD I decided the Alchemists needed an entire department devoted to handling Adrian Ivashkov. RICHELLE MEAD I tried to be a better person for her– but it was to impress her, to get her to want me. But when ... RICHELLE MEAD Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection." He paused to reconsider that. "Well, except for my ... RICHELLE MEAD How do you know if a demon is lying? His lips are moving. RICHELLE MEAD I don't balance you like you need." "What the hell does that mean?" he exclaimed. My heart... RICHELLE MEAD I used to think you were weak and just didn't fight back ... but now, honestly, I think you're actua... RICHELLE MEAD The center will hold.” “How do you know?” “Because we are the... RICHELLE MEAD My God, Sage. Your eyes. How have I never noticed them?" That uncomfortable feeling was s... RICHELLE MEAD Hey, if you'd wanted to avoid 'this,' you shouldn't have lured me last night. Now it's too late. You... RICHELLE MEAD You've always been my equal, Roza. RICHELLE MEAD We can't..." he told me. "I know," I agreed. Then his mouth was on mine again, and t... RICHELLE MEAD You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can. RICHELLE MEAD I’d said it before and meant it: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass. RICHELLE MEAD Things on the essential list: vodka, Nine Inch Nails, a steady supply of mortal men, and an all-purp... RICHELLE MEAD Okay, God, I thought. Get me out of this and I’ll stop my half-assed church-going ways. You got me... RICHELLE MEAD This college would probably have the same problem as the last one did." I frowned, "What's that... RICHELLE MEAD So...Mason, Eddie, and Mia went to Spokane to hunt Strigoi?" "Yes." "Holy shit. Why didn't... RICHELLE MEAD ARE YOU CRAZY?" I ASKED. He gave me the same wordless look he always did when I asked that que... RICHELLE MEAD Dorian used to watch you like a starving man who wants meat. Now he looks at you like he wants secon... RICHELLE MEAD I stopped. She was bleeding after all. Perfect lines crossed her wrists, not near any crucial veins,... RICHELLE MEAD How come when mortals want things, their only option is to make a deal with Hell and sell their soul... RICHELLE MEAD You know I love you, right?” The urge to kiss her goodbye was so strong that I almost broke our ru... RICHELLE MEAD Yet, it had been Dimitri’s gentleness and thoughtfulness mixed with that deadliness that made him ... RICHELLE MEAD How do you feel right now?" "I hurt like hell." "You'll feel worse tomorrow." "So?"<... RICHELLE MEAD Do you know anything about silent films?" "Sure," I said. "The first ones were developed in th... RICHELLE MEAD Ah, well,ʺ said Abe, idly studying his fingertips. ʺI have it on good authority thereʹs going to ... RICHELLE MEAD A gun I had been brought down by a gun. It was practically comical. Cheaters, I thought. I’d spent... RICHELLE MEAD Do you know what I see in you now? The usual aura. A steady golden yellow, healthy and strong, with ... RICHELLE MEAD I see how it is,” I snapped. “You were all in favor of me breaking the tattoo and thinking on my... RICHELLE MEAD Because I can't help doing it," he said with a shrug. "And hey, if I keep loving you, maybe you'll e... RICHELLE MEAD Not into older guys, huh?" asked Adrian once we were alone. "You're imagining things," I said. ... RICHELLE MEAD You forgot another lesson: Never turn your back until you know your enemy is dead. Looks like w... RICHELLE MEAD There's nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what'll happen to you. Your own imagination can b... RICHELLE MEAD You know what we need?" "A new plan?" asked Lissa. "A miracle?" asked Eddie.... RICHELLE MEAD Well, that depends, I suppose. I heard someone once say that men dance the same way they have sex. S... RICHELLE MEAD There are little gems all around us that can hold glimmers of inspiration. RICHELLE MEAD I always love seeing what worries you. Strigoi? No. Questionable food? Yes. RICHELLE MEAD Ah, my daughter,ʺ he said. ʺEighteen, and already youʹve been accused of murder, aided felons, an... RICHELLE MEAD What hope is there?" I asked. "If even angels fall, what hope is there for the rest of us? RICHELLE MEAD He's hot like, the kind of hot that makes you stop walking on the street and get hit by traffic. RICHELLE MEAD You fixed yourself. You didn’t need me.” “No, Sydney.” My voice was ragged. “I ... RICHELLE MEAD It’s Adrian Ivashkov logic. Don’t try to understand it. Just roll with it. RICHELLE MEAD No matter how long or how difficult, we will undo whatever that Moroi boy has done to you." RICHELLE MEAD Centrum permanebit. RICHELLE MEAD Whether it's simply some fierce animal joining of mates or a sublime merging of souls, she is mine, ... RICHELLE MEAD Throughout history, people with new ideas—who think differently and try to change things—have al... RICHELLE MEAD You're better than this. Better than whatever it is you're going to do now. RICHELLE MEAD You see something you like? RICHELLE MEAD I find more peace with you. RICHELLE MEAD None of the bravado he usually showed was there. I guess there was "usually" and then there was bein... RICHELLE MEAD What is it you’re interested in exactly?” the man asked slowly. “Just the color?” ... RICHELLE MEAD But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampi... RICHELLE MEAD Abe held my gaze a bit longer and then broke into an easy smile. ʺOf course, of course. This is a f... RICHELLE MEAD I don’t belong to anyone. I make my own choices." "And you’re with Adrian," said Dimitri.<... RICHELLE MEAD Even I make mistakes." I put on my brash, overconfident face. "I know it's hard to believe—kind of... RICHELLE MEAD Any life worth living is going to have risks RICHELLE MEAD You're my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other. RICHELLE MEAD I’m not dangerous,” I breathed. He brought his face toward mine. “You are to me.”... RICHELLE MEAD I'll just love you whether you want me to or not. RICHELLE MEAD God might work on mysterious ways, but hell worked on efficient ones. RICHELLE MEAD Adrian smiled and clasped my hands, taking a few steps toward me. "And as for who you are, you’re ... RICHELLE MEAD Je t'aime Roza...je serais là pour toi. Je ne laisserais jamais rien t'arriver. Et je ne laiss... RICHELLE MEAD What were good and evil, really, but stupid categories? Stupid categories that restricted peopl... RICHELLE MEAD Did you just use juxtaposition in a sentence?" "Yes, Sage" he said patiently. "We use it all t... RICHELLE MEAD But what are loyalty and caring really worth?" "To me? Everything. RICHELLE MEAD I want her to be happy. It's worth sacrificing myself." -Eddie RICHELLE MEAD He's been out for a while," she said. "You ready to take a break?" Hopper could exist in this l... RICHELLE MEAD and afterward, after it was done, it was too much, and I felt like I was going to... I don't know...... RICHELLE MEAD She felt so much emotionally, she would say, that a physical outlet - physical pain - was the only w... RICHELLE MEAD Well...I'm on birth control" I was drinking the water again and choked on it. It took sev... RICHELLE MEAD I should go," I said thickly. "Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for...t... RICHELLE MEAD Call me crazy for asking this, but, um, are Lissa and I going with you?" "No" "No?" "... RICHELLE MEAD Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova, "Her sanctioned guardian." RICHELLE MEAD You might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll be like sunshine to me. RICHELLE MEAD You look confused," said Adrian. I shook my head and sighed. "I think I'm just overthinking thi... RICHELLE MEAD They’re waiting for you. Go on in.” Adrian leaned close to Keith’s ear and spoke in an ominous... RICHELLE MEAD Relax, having kids is years away. But can you imagine? Your brains, my charm, our collective good lo... RICHELLE MEAD I loved you!" he yelled. He jumped up out of his chair so quickly I never saw it coming. "I loved yo... RICHELLE MEAD Who is he?" "An idiot, said Adrian. "Makes me look like an upstanding member of society. RICHELLE MEAD Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate ... RICHELLE MEAD You, know I'm the Queen's favorite great nephew, Well, yeah I'm her only great nephew, but that's no... RICHELLE MEAD Don't worry, little dhampir. You might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll always be like sunshine t... RICHELLE MEAD You've asked me out tons of times." "Not really. I've made inappropriate suggestions and freque... RICHELLE MEAD I know how devastated you must be to miss me, but leave a message, and I'll try to ease your agony RICHELLE MEAD That means nothing," said Abe with a shrug. I had a feeling that if I stood and suddenly confessed t... RICHELLE MEAD Hello," I said stiffly. His smile split into a full grin."So nice to see you again." "Alwa... RICHELLE MEAD You think that I'm so manipulative and scheming, Miss Sage? It's all for them. For my loved ones fir... RICHELLE MEAD He smiled willingly. "Well, I always aim to help others in need." "Yeah," a new voice suddenly ... RICHELLE MEAD I expected Abe to yell for everyone to shut up or something like that. Of course, Nathan had been tr... RICHELLE MEAD So, I want to try to spend more time with Dad." Abe glanced at Rose."You see that?" He said. "N... RICHELLE MEAD Who are these people?" my mother asked. "Guess," replied Abe flatly. "Who would be foolish enou... RICHELLE MEAD Well, well, well," I said. "If it isn't the people responsible for unleashing Rose Hathaway on the w... RICHELLE MEAD Abe swept in, resplendent in a gray and yellow suit that coordinated bafflingly well with Adrian's p... RICHELLE MEAD Ah, Belikov," said Abe, shaking Dimitri's hand. "I'd been hoping we'd run into each other. I'd reall... RICHELLE MEAD I have it on good authority there's going to be a new 'gate' opening up soon over on the south side ... RICHELLE MEAD She reached out and touched the bright colors of the cashmere scarf, her face filled with wonder as ... RICHELLE MEAD Was this all part of your plan as my lawyer? I don't recall explosive escapes being part of the lega... RICHELLE MEAD What have you gotten me into?" I hissed at him. "Me? What have you gotten yourself into? Couldn... RICHELLE MEAD Don't fight them anymore.I'm going to go with them." "No. I won't let them take you." "You... RICHELLE MEAD Because it gives him and excuse to be around her--without making it look like he gave in first. That... RICHELLE MEAD You approve?" I asked, spinning around. He slipped an arm around my waist. "Unfortunately... RICHELLE MEAD You forget: I have an addictive personality. I'm addicted to you. Somehow I think you could do all s... RICHELLE MEAD Dimitri. I hadn't known he was here. His eyes were on me too,dark and endless. Only I couldn't ... RICHELLE MEAD I'm sorry." "Be sorry you lied," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Don't be sorr... RICHELLE MEAD That," I told Tatiana, "is the most fucked-up law I have ever heard. RICHELLE MEAD As he looked at me, he seemed to send a message of his own: that he would still fight for me, that h... RICHELLE MEAD In an undertone, I murmured, "This isn't over. I won't give up on you." "I've given up on you,"... RICHELLE MEAD What are you, Rose Hathaway? Are you real? You're a dream within a dream. I'm afraid touching you wi... RICHELLE MEAD Yeah, that's exactly what I want. To help my girlfriend get her old boyfriend back." He turned away ... RICHELLE MEAD I'll find you. There is no place in this world you can hide from me. I'm watching. Love, Dimitr... RICHELLE MEAD Well, you've finally got a license to kill. It's about time. RICHELLE MEAD You guys didn't really think you could go off on a party weekend without me, did you? Especially her... RICHELLE MEAD I don't know. This college would probably have the same problem the last one did." I frow... RICHELLE MEAD If I could dream, I know I'd dream about you.I'd dream about the way you smell and how your dark hai... RICHELLE MEAD Don't touch her," he growled. There was a note in his voice that would of scared me if it had b... RICHELLE MEAD Checkmate, bitch. RICHELLE MEAD Damn it," I muttered. "What?" asked Adrian. "I hate when you're the sane one... RICHELLE MEAD You're beautiful in battle," said Dimitri. His cold voice carried to me clearly, even above the roar... RICHELLE MEAD Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them. It's a wonder I can spot realit... RICHELLE MEAD He has no right to threaten my boyfriends. I'm eighteen. An adult. I don't need his help. I can thre... RICHELLE MEAD Sweat isn't a bad thing," he said, leaning his head against the wall thoughtfully. "Some of the best... RICHELLE MEAD It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. You can let go of the sword." "I can’t. I can�... RICHELLE MEAD That's pretty hot," he said. "Punching me in the eye?" "Well, no. Of course not. I meant t... RICHELLE MEAD By the way, my name's Rose Hathaway. I'm seventeen years old, training to protect and kill vampires,... RICHELLE MEAD Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up in a dream. And sometimes, every once in a... RICHELLE MEAD what's your name?" what?" i asked, squinting at the light. your name." I reconized Dr. Ole... RICHELLE MEAD Don't judge the past by the standards of today. It won't work. They're incompatible. RICHELLE MEAD You were wrong. She really is the new general in town." I smiled back, hoping he wasn't aware o... RICHELLE MEAD And I thought the whole point of my education was that violence IS the answer. RICHELLE MEAD I steeled myself for the next response. I knew it was going to be one of the Zen life lessons. [...]... RICHELLE MEAD I love you, Roza." He kissed me again. "I'll always be here for you. I'm not going to let anything h... RICHELLE MEAD