G.A. Aiken

Why are you doing this?___hat__ easy. Because I like you._ He grinned. __ like you a lot.___hy?___ecause you make me smile.___ou__e Addolgar the Cheerful. Everything makes you smile.___ot everything. And if I want to like you, Braith of the Darkness, I get to like you. Whether you want me to or not.

My father helped you with that. . that thing you do?_ __es. Your father helped me with that peacemaking thing I do that keeps you happily killing for a living.

How__ your father?___ow do you think he is? You stabbed him in the foot.___ would have aimed for his heart, but I wasn__ sure he actually had one. Do any of you have one?

No one referred toFearghus the Destroyer as the life of anyone__ party.

Hhhmm. A sense of humor._ He cocked his head to the side.__hat actually might annoy me.__he frowned, ignoring the teasing sound to that oh-so-low voiceand, with heavy sarcasm answered, __h, well, that__l keep me upnights.

Don't make me cover your face with a pillow until you see my side of things.""Isn't that called murder?

Lorcan rubbed his head. __m I asking too much to want the little bitch dead? Am I?_ It seemed Hefaidd-Hen learned long ago not to answer certain questions. __ll I want is for her to suffer a painful, horrifying death. And for her head to be on a spike in front of my castle. That__ all I want.

She made you smile.___ye. Rhiannon always makes me smile.__halin dropped her head against her son__ chest. __ark gods, I__e lost you forever.__ercelak rolled his eyes. __ think, Mother, that__ a tad extreme.

What__ wrong with him?___othing. He__ just. . just. ._ __ust what?___ peacemaker._ And she__ dropped her voice to a whisper. __hat would I do with a peacemaker?_ __he same thing I did with a whore.

She hadn__ seen gold since she__ lastbeen to her father__ home, when she would sneak off to meet him.Smiling at the brief memory of, as her mother called him, __he onewho gave me the seed which allowed for your presence.

You ask me if you can eat dinner in your room, but you don__ask me if you can torture _ibhear to take you flying?__ruly perplexed, Izzy asked softly, __hy would I ask you that?

Go on,_ he offered magnanimously. __eel free to piss on yourselves andcower helplessly.__ods, sometimes his generosity overwhelmed him.

I won__ tolerate her hurting you, my son. I__l kill the bitch first.___eren__ you the one who tried to cut father__ throat before he Claimed you?_"He deserved it,

Nothing hurts me, Low Born. Absolutely nothing.___ow is that possible?_ And for some reason he sounded as if he truly cared about her answer.__hen you stop feeling anything, you find it quite possible.

Now if you gentlemen,_ she looked at Briec, __nd whateveryou are, will excuse me.

How do you live with yourself, Lord Arrogant?_ __ery easily, Lady Difficult. I find myself quitecharming.

I__ so in love with you, Braith,_ he told her, and she felt in her bones that he meant every word. __nd do you know why?___ have no idea,_ she replied honestly.__ecause I am such an amazing dragon that I know I richly deserve a She-dragon as wonderful as you. See?_ he asked, grinning at her. __ow could I not love you when you__e so clearly made for me?

Good gods, female,_ Addolgar muttered. __hat did you do with yourself before I came into your life?___ lived quietly alone in my cave,_ she snapped back. __nd I was quite happy there, too.