Deborah Blake

For years she__ been the Central Gates Precinct__ Witness Retrieval Specialist _ more commonly referred to as a __host Yanker_ by her non-magical colleagues on the force. Being stuck in the basement talking to dead victims would depress the hell out of anyone, if they did it for long enough. Then, six months ago, everything changed.

I don__ know about you, but I__e got plans for next Thursday. And I__ not in the mood to have them ruined by some apocalypse.

Hmm," she said. "'Curiouser and curiouser,' to quote Alice.

He spoke!" Ivan said, eyes wide. "The dog talked! Oh my god." "An ancient witch you can believe in, but not a talking dragon that looks like a dog?" Chudo-Yudo said, sounding slightly piqued. "Hmph. Young people today have such limited imaginations.

Something tells me this isn't going to end well for everyone involved. Someone may get turned into a frog yet." And that was the good news.

You're the Baba Yaga?" He gazed at her in disbelief. "But the Baba Yaga is an ugly old crone, and you're, you're... not!

He strolled over to the refrigerator, opened the door with one paw, and delicately picked up a beer between his teeth. He waited until clothes had stopped arcing through the air and hand it to Barbara.

Her arms reached up to wrap around his neck, holding on as if she would never let go. She kissed him back with an ardor that astonished, gratified, and aroused him all at once, and for a moment, he lost himself in the kiss, and in the woman, thinking to himself, now this, this is magic.

You were thinking about the hunky sheriff. I don't blame you. If I weren't a dragon, and a male one at that, I'd be drooling over him myself." He lifted his muzzle to look at her. "So what are you going to do about him?" Baba sighed. "Probably something truly unwise." "Excellent," Chudo-Yudo said. "About time. No one should be wise all the time. Not even a Baba.

Mrs. Ivanov's gentle face was pale and bewildered, her wrinkles falling in on themselves as though they'd given up trying to hold on to any expression other than sorrow.

Bella laughed, her head thrown back to expose the smooth line of her throat, and Sam suddenly lost his train of thought. While they'd been eating, the sun had set, and the sight of Bella standing in the moonlight laughing took his breath away. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything so beautiful in his life. And that was more terrifying than any fire.

Uh, hi," she said, lifting a hand in greeting. "Hi yourself," Liam said, feeling remarkably calm, under the circumstances. "Did you just walk out of that closet?" He looked her over, taking in her unusual attire, jewels, sword, and all. She looked exotic, stunningly beautiful, and in some intangible way, more herself than he'd ever seen her. "Nice outfit. Special occasion?" He was fairly certain she hadn't just come from a costume ball. Unless it was one that involved some kind of giant pumpkin and a fairy godmother.

Stu looked over his shoulder at the trailer. "She seems like a nice old lady, but jeez, that's a big dog." "Yes," said Liam. "But a small dragon.

Pain is mostly mind over matter: if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

It's about damned time," he said in a husky voice. "If I had to wait five more minutes to kiss you, I think I probably would have turned into a dragon myself.

Marcus gave her a slow, wicked smile, feeling the smoldering heat rise to the surface like molten lava, irresistible as a force of nature. "If you insist," he whispered, and bent his head to capture her lips with his own. He put all his yearning, all his gratitude for the gifts she'd given him, all that heat bubbling up within him into the kiss, feeling her lips yield beneath his.She returned his fire with fire, kissing him back with a wild abandon that left them both trembling and enraptured, wrapped around each other in the midst of a crowd, focused only on each other.Overhead, fireworks lit the sky, but neither of them noticed.

You should stay," he repeated. "The worst of the storm may be over, but it is still raining. It's pitch-black out there, and you're already tired and soaked to the bone. "Not exactly great conditions for riding a dirt bike. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Bella took another small step toward him, tilting her head up so she could look into his eyes. "And that's the only reason you want me to stay?" To keep me safe?" Sam shook his head. "No. Not the only reason." And he leaned down to kiss her, suddenly realizing he'd been wanting to do it since the day he met her.

You're welcome to join us again sometime," Bella said.... "Right. Well, I don't know." Sam looked at the ground. scuffing one boot in the dirt. "I'm usually not very good company." "I'm hanging out with a teenager and a temperamental cat." Bella said with a small smile. "The bar is set very low around here.