#sydney-sage

"I realized I’m in love. It's always been right in front of me."

"My nails dug into his back, and he trailed his lips down the edge of my chin, down the center of my neck. He kept going until he reached the bottom of the dress’s V-neck. I let out a small gasp, and he kissed all around the neckline, just enough to tease."

"Wow,” said Adrian. He sat down on the bed and tested its bounciness, giving it a nod of approval. “This is amazing. What do you think, buttercup?”“I have no words,” I said honestly.He patted the spot beside him. “Want to try it out?"

"Are you in a suit?' I managed at last, my voice choking up. 'You didn’t have to dress up for me.''Quiet, Sage,' he said. 'I’ll make the hilarious one-liners during this daring rescue."

"I certainly hadn't expected to walk away from today's trip with joint custody of a miniature dragon."

"Relax, having kids is years away. But can you imagine? Your brains, my charm, our collective good looks... then add in the usual physical abilities dhampirs get. It's really not even fair to everyone else."

"Piece of Heaven?""No, that other place I'm going to go to for thinking what I'm thinking."

"Sydney spent a lot of time on my bed these days.Unfortunately, it wasn't with me."

"Because I’ve got a lot more terms of endearment to use. Honey pie. Sugarplum. Bread pudding."“Why are they all high-calorie foods?"

"Oh... Adrian, I've got one more favor to ask you. A big one.""Fondue?"he asked hopefully."

"Those words, that voice, had more power over me than any phantom ever could."

"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 moments, my thoughts were usually focused on getting her shirt off and whether I’d get past the bra this time. So far, I hadn’t."

"And besides . . . I don’t want to leave you. Er, you guys.”He smiled, and it lit up his whole face. “Well, ‘we’ are certainly happy to hear that. Oh, and I’m also happy to watch our darling little love child dragon while you’re in St. Louis.”I grinned back."

"I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I love you."

"Adrian was easily distractible by wacky topics and shiny objects."

"I’m not a warrior or a goddess,” I said at last.Adrian leaned closer. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re both."

"You might not believe this, but there is no one like her at this school.""Oh I believe it,"I said, thinking back to the time Angeline had forgotten her locker's combination and tried to get into it with an axe.No one was really sure where she'd gotten it from."

"But when I touch you, your aura … it smolders. The colors deepen, it burns more intensely, the purple increases. Why? Why, Sydney?” He used that hand to pull me closer. “Why do you react that way if I don’t mean anything to you?” There was a desperation in his voice, and it was legitimate."

"Everything about her has to do with me."

"He was too perfect, despite being one of the most imperfect people I knew."