Sarah Rees Brennan

I saw you put rice in a toaster once," said Mae. "I was there when made the tin of beans explode.""It was faulty," Jamie protested, his eyes shifty. " I am sure of this.

Oh, you need Alan to betray Nick and then you'll steal Nick's powers and kill them both," said Mae. "Great idea. Hey, can i come? I'll bring a picnic lunch if you promise not to let blood get on the sandwiches.

They walked to school, talking about how much they were longing for the summer holidays."Oh, I am planning things," said Jamie. "Great, great things. I could join a band.""You gave up the guitar after two lessons.""Well," he said, "I could be a backup dancer.""Backup dancers have to wear belly shirts and glitter," said Mae. "So obviously, I support this plan.

I cook better than you," Nick corrected absently. "I think monkeys can probably be taught to cook better than you.""I'd like to have a monkey that cooked for me," said Jamie. " I would pay him in bananas. His name would be Alphonse.""I agree, that would be awesome." Mae said. "People would come for dinner just to see the monkey chef.""You're raving," Nick said, defrosting chicken in the microwave. Mae was a bit impressed with how he seemed to look at the appliance and instantly comprehend its mysteries, when she'd been heating up ready-made meals for years by a method of pressing random buttons and hoping. " I know that's the only way Jamie communicates with people, but I expected better of you, Mavis.""We're cutting out the whole Mavis thing right now, Nick," Mae said warningly."How many bananas would be good payment for a monkey?" Jamie wanted to know. " I would want to pay Alphonse a fair wage.

Oh," she said, in a very different way. "Well. Thanks for my part in the compliment. Naturally I'd love to be watched and controlled, but I think I may be washing my hair that day.

Foul!" yelled Jamie, who seemed extremely happy not to be the one facing a blade. "Distracting technique! Put your shirt back on right now.

Fear's useless. Either something bad happens or it doesn't: If it doesn't, you've wasted time being afraid, and if it does, you've wasted time that you could have spent sharpening your weapons.

Taking notes at a pub in Salisbury, I was mistaken for a health inspector!

Do me a favour and go out and perform one of the activities I hear the youth enjoy this Friday, like defacing public property.

all fiction is better with explosions' said Jared. 'Basic fact of life.

It__ normal to like guys who seem to like you; it__ normal to want to be loved.__ami raised her eyebrows. ____ sixteen,_ she said. ____ not looking for love.___h,_ said Liz. __h, what are you looking for?___heap thrills, mostly,_ said Kami.

Forest deep, silent bellsThere's a secret no one tellsValley quiet, water stillLynburns watching on the hillApples red, corn goldAlmost everyone grows old

I am Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle. Keep a civil tongue in your head or lose it

Hello,_ said the beautiful elven maid. __ was just thinking, and I mean no offence, but__ow can any fighting force crowded with the softer sex hope to prevail in battle?___uh?_ said Elliot, brilliantly. __he softer what?___ refer to men,_ said the elf girl. __aturally I was aware the Border guard admitted men, and I support men in their endeavor to prove they are equal to women, but their natures are not warlike, are they?

If good men pretend to be villains, how is anybody supposed to know the difference between them?

Hark,_ he said, his tone very dry. __hat stone through yonder window breaks?__ami yelled up at him, __t is the east, and Juliet is a jerk!

Also," Nick added curtly, "I'm sorry about your face."Jamie looked over his shoulder, and touched the demon's mark crawling along his jaw with the back of his hand. "Sorry about saving all our lives by doing something you had to do?""Oh no," Nick said blandly, "I just meant, you know. Generally."Jamie stared at him, shocked, and laughed. It was a real laugh, helpless and sweet, and Mae memorized it in case he died. Jamie by the river at dawn, laughing.

Mae's first impulse was to die of shame, but she realized after a hot, stomach-clenching moment that this was probably impractical.