Matthew kept hinting that his desire - for blood, chiefly- was so strong that it put everything else at risk. But vampires weren’t the only creatures who had to manage such strong impulses. Much of what qualified as magic was simply desire in action. Witchcraft was different- that took spells and rituals. But magic? A wish, a need, a hunger too strong to be denied- these could turn into deeds when they cross a witch’s mind.

My experiences thus far had me planning to throttle the first Tudor historian I met upon my return for gross dereliction of duty.

I wanted to know how humans came up with a view of the world that had so little magic in it. I needed to understand how they convinced themselves that magic wasn’t important.

You do angry. I just saw it. And you left at least one hole in my carpet to prove it.

Sorry, we've got ghosts.

Wordlessly I looked back at him, astonished that a kiss on the palm could be so intimate.

Her bark is worse than her bite.