|
8abc64e
|
I would not leave you. I'll be there. Wherever you want 'there' to be.
|
|
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
a497fef
|
Other pirates leaped over the railing. One, two... seven... thirteen. A baker's dozen. Wait, fifteen. Eighteen... Twenty-one. The odds weren't in our favor. "Maybe they just came over to borrow a cup of sugar," I said. Andrea barked a short laugh. Curran put his hand on my shoulder. "That's a lot of sugar. Must be a big cake."
|
|
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
864dfc3
|
Shave that jaw, brush that hair, tone down the crazy in the eyes, and he would have to fight women off with that crossbow.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
4bd09a1
|
Where you worried about me?" "No, I'm ranting for fun, because I'm a disagreeable bitch!" He smiled. "You're a moron!" I told him. He just looked at me. Happy golden lights danced in his eyes. I'd learned exactly what those sparks meant. Fury fled, replaced by alarm. "Kiss me and I'll kill you," I warned. "It might be worth it," he said softly."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
d48c6fd
|
Where to now?" I asked. "Hold on," Robert said. "I'm still . . . coming to terms with your mode of transportation." "Take your time," I nudged Cuddles, turning her to give him a better view. Cuddles flicked her ears, lifted her feet, and pranced. Oh dear God."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
0678879
|
What's your problem with the Guild?" "The only way to resolve it involves me being entangled in running it and I don't want to do it." I waved my arms. "I have the Consort crap and I have the Cutting Edge crap and whatever other bullshit the two of you throw my way. I don't want to go to the Guild every month and deal with their crap on top of everything else." Curran leaned toward me. "I have to dress up and meet with those corpsefuckers o..
|
|
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
620b217
|
Why me?" He said finally. "Are you on some sort of mission to fuck up my life?" "I try my best to avoid you." "You're doing a hell of a job." "I honestly don't mean to cause you problems." "You don't cause problems. An unpiloted vampire causes problems. You cause catastrophes."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
33cd001
|
Getting a lecture on restraint from the woman who threw a hissy fit and blew up Babylon.
|
|
hissy-fit
magic-bleeds
ilona-andrews
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
19a1ebc
|
The rage of the Beast Lord was a terrible thing to behold. Some people stormed, some punched things, but Curran slipped into this icy, bone-chilling calm. His face hardened into a flat mask, and his eyes turned into a molten inferno of pure gold. If you looked at it for longer than two seconds, your muscles locked, your knees shook, and you had to fight to keep from cringing. It was easier to look at the floor, but I didn't. Besides, he was..
|
|
love
gunmetal-magic
ilona-andrews
kate-daniels
tenderness
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
0fb7742
|
You will tell me what you know now," he said. "Or?" He said nothing, so I elaborated. "See, this kind of threat usually has an 'or' attached to it. Or an 'and'. 'Tell me and I'll allow you to live' or something like that."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
136d32f
|
And you expect me to commute two hours each way from the Keep to the Order." I kept my voice mild. "I suppose I won't be needing my job, my house, or my clothes anymore." "I didn't say that. Although let me get back to you on the clothes. It's still under consideration." --
|
|
magic-bleeds
ilona-andrews
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
ff641a3
|
A shadow crossed Andrea's face. "I don't want to be his TWT-IHFB." "What does that mean?" "That Weird Thing I Haven't Fucked Before." I choked."
|
|
vampyre
shapeshifter
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
e7800b1
|
Why were you in a vehicle with Kate, alone? What were you wearing? What was she wearing? How long were you there? Did you do something or did you talk? What was the nature of your discussion? Could this trip have been avoided?" I rubbed my face. "So basically you're scared that His Lordship might get his panties in a bunch?" "That's one way to put it."
|
|
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
32f3812
|
When in doubt, poke the beehive with a stick to see if anything interesting flies out. I clapped my hands. 'I had no idea Pit teams had such pretty cheerleaders. Can you do it again, but with more spirit this time?
|
|
funny
kate
joke
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
0a89806
|
I wouldn't be able to do anything with my vampire horde except make it run around in a herd, but it would be a very impressive herd.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
cc353ae
|
I'd signed six things and my stack wasn't getting any smaller. It was like the paperwork was breeding while I worked.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
3d0e2c5
|
I know you'll tell me to fuck off, but I think Curran loves you. Truly loves you. And I think you love him, Kate. That's rare. Think about it--if he really stood you up, why would he be so pissed off about the whole thing? You both can be assholes of the first order, so don't let the two of you throw it away. If you're going to walk away from it, at least walk away knowing the whole picture." "You're right. Fuck off. I don't need him," I to..
|
|
love
magic-bleeds
ilona-andrews
curran
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
c2edf4c
|
I looked at the canine companion. "Me cookies. You stay."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
9c74eca
|
We can get you a throne with snakes. I'll stand next to you and roar at anybody who fails to grovel. Fear Kate Daniels. She is a mighty and terrible ruler. Grendel can anoint the petitioners with his vomit. It'll be great . . .
|
|
irony
fun
humor
grendel
kate
vomit
throne
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
0d1a047
|
Since we're playing that game... I tilted my face up to his and gave him a lovesick gaze. "Do you have to sneeze?" he asked. "Be quiet. I'm pretending to enjoy your company, just as you said." "Try not to strain anything." "Oh, I won't. I'm very good at faking it." That shut him up."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
6f1282c
|
The Oracle rose. As one, the three witches bowed. "See?" Bran jerked his thumb at the three women. "That's how a woman should treat a man. Next time you see me, I want you to do just like them."
|
|
magic-burns
ilona-andrews
kate-daniels
kate
bran
oracle
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
aafdf53
|
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.
|
|
magic-bites
kate-daniels
kate
texans
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
f87f2ab
|
I did some thinking." "That is a very dangerous pastime," Ghastek said."
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
efa945a
|
Do you have a girlfriend?" Grandma Frida asked. I put my hand over my face. "No," Mad Rogan said. "A boyfriend?" Grandma Frida asked. "No." "What about . . ." "No," Mom and I said in unison. "But you don't even know what I wanted to ask!" "No," we said again together. "Party poopers." Grandma shrugged."
|
|
mad-rogan
nevada-baylor
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
d626b43
|
My tablecloth was missing in action and long, jagged scratches covered the table's surface.The scratches looked suspiciously like letters. I climbed on a chair and looked at it from above. MINE. Oh, that's great. Fantastic. So mature. Perhaps he would pull my pigtails next or stick a tack on my seat.
|
|
possessive-hero
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
ad53387
|
I clawed my eyes open and rolled off my bed. For some reason, someone had moved the floor several feet lower than I had expected, and I fell and crashed with a thud. Ow. A blond head popped over the side of the bed, and a familiar male voice asked, "Are you okay down there?" Curran. The Beast Lord was in my bed. No, wait a minute. I didn't have a bed, because my insane aunt had destroyed my apartment. I was mated to the Beast Lord, which me..
|
|
humor
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
4f431ff
|
A massive beast dashed along the mountain apex. Astamur reached for his rifle. "A demon?" "No, not a demon." I might have preferred one . "That's my boyfriend." Atsany and the shepherd turned to look at me. "Boyfriend?" Astamur said. Curran saw us. He paused on a stone crag and roared. The raw declaration of strength cracked through the mountains, rolling down the cliffs like a rockslide. "Yep. Don't worry. He's harmless."
|
|
humor
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
ce40669
|
You'll lose." "What makes you so sure?" "You have no discipline. All you do is tear down shit down. My father is a bastard, but at least he builds things. You turn cities into smoking ruins and blunder about like some hyper child, smashing anything you see. And then you sit here and wonder, 'Why did all of my children turn out to be violet idiots? It's a mystery of nature,'."
|
|
magic-bleeds
ilona-andrews
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
7224442
|
Two years? That's entirely too long. If you want, we can take care of that. After two years it's pure therapy.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
5fb55e5
|
I could have fixed almost everything else, but death defeated me every time.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
a0956e0
|
Next to me, Saiman smiled. "We all want what we can't have, Kate. I want you, you want love, and he wants to break my neck." --
|
|
magic-bleeds
saiman
ilona-andrews
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
40af810
|
Had I known you were going to pull a pretty ribbon out of your sleeve like some two-bit magician, tie me up with it, and indulge your mental torture fetish in your basement, I would've shot you. Many times." "Two-bit magician?" "Men like you enjoy being flattered."
|
|
nevada-baylor
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
05fc3c9
|
Our standard rate. A doubloon a day." It was generous. More than generous--some families would put him up for a week for a single coin. "Half a doubloon a day," she said. "No, you see, the idea behind bargaining is that you ask for a larger amount."
|
|
declan
on-the-edge
ilona-andrews
rose
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
81c2a2a
|
The woman said something to Roman. He stopped, turned to her, and shook his staff. She crossed her arms. I couldn't see her face, but I read the body language well enough.
|
|
dark-volhv
roman
kate-daniels
witch
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
f9fec67
|
I would really like to know", he said with genuine curiosity. "The next time I kill someone, I'd like to do it in a way that doesn't freak you out."
|
|
rogan
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
5cfb9a3
|
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. Awesome. At least she always carried a knife with her. When I relayed this to Curran he shrugged and said, "If she kills anybody we'll make it go away."
|
|
magic-slays
ilona-andrews
julie
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
b8560ff
|
I turned to the courtyard and waved at Roman and the witch next to him. "Is that his sister?" Andrea asked me. "No." I had spoken with both of them. "I'd asked her that. Her name is Alina, she isn't his sister, and she feels deeply sorry for his sisters, because if she had to put up with being in his presence for longer than a day, she would throw herself off the nearest bridge just to end the agony." "Well," Andrea said. "Glad she cleared ..
|
|
roman
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
213baa8
|
He comes into my city, he throws away my people, he orders me around like I'm his servant and now this? How dare he!" I sighed. "How dare he!" came out. Could "Does he know who I am?" be far behind? "I'm not some illiterate he can push around. I won't be treated this way. I worked too damn hard, for years. Years! Years of study and that fucking Neanderthal comes in and waves his arms." Ghastek skewed his face into a grimace. He was probably..
|
|
kate-daniels
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
dbbfaef
|
And let's be honest, you weren't exactly harmed. I even took you home." "You dumped me on my doorstep. According to my mother, I looked half dead." "Your mother exaggerates. A third dead at most." I stared at him. Wow. Just wow."
|
|
nevada-baylor
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
f07f612
|
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 neither here nor there." "I'm inscrutable, mysterious and intellectual." He forgot conceited. "Did you have any trouble getting that ego through the door?" Saiman didn't even blink. "Not in the le..
|
|
saiman
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
5aec00c
|
Go play your games with Jim. I'll find you both when I need you." Arrogant asshole. "I tell you what, if you find us before those three days run out, I'll cook you a damn dinner and serve it to you naked." "Is that a promise?" "Yes. Go fuck yourself."
|
|
humor
magic-strikes
kate-daniels
flirting
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
54a3576
|
He said "woman" in the same way I'd say "Mmmmm, yummy chocolate" after waking up from hunger pains and finding a Hershey bar in an empty refrigerator."
|
|
kate
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
fe3251e
|
He squeezed his hands into fists. I picked up a grapefruit-sized rock and handed it to him. It went flying. Home run, Beast Lord style.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |
|
eb49876
|
Big bad merc, down with a basic hip toss. In your place I'd be blushing.
|
|
|
Ilona Andrews |