Did something happen to the sanctity of your church again?" My eye twitched. "Newt broke it so she could look in my closet." Again.

But the same things that had once attracted menow left me with a mild sense of unease. Ivy would say I was getting smarter, but I just felt…empty.

Uh... ," Ivy stammered, and I glanced up to see her eyes wide in consideration. "I'm kidding," I said. "It passed the lethal-amulet test, remember?" "Not that. You keep it in your underwear drawer?" I hesitated, wondering why I was embarrassed. "Well, where do you put your elven magic?" I asked.

The car was full of unhappy people heading west. It was the Great American Family Road Trip, all right. Whaaa-hoo!

Coffee. I could smell coffee. Coffee would make everything better.

He just wanted to hold her to him and tell her it would be okay, that she had survived and was beautiful.

You can trust me to keep my word. I always keep my word, promises or threats.