I want you to have this.” He extended his hand. On his palm sat the beautiful butterfly he had carved. Silver spots on the wings glinted in the sunlight, and a silver chain hung from a small hole drilled into its body. Valek looped the necklace around my neck. “When I carved this statue, I was thinking about you. Delicate in appearance, but with a strength unnoticed at first glance.” His eyes met mine.

I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No confusion here. No worries here. No troubles here.

You had me tied in knots. You saved Belen's life, and I wanted to kill and thank you all at the same time. And during those nights when we didn't know if you'd live or die, I went from being angry, to worried to frustrated to scared all within a single heartbeat. If you had die, I would have killed you.

Every person has the latent ability to read minds and influence the physical world without touching it, but they don't have the ability to connect with the power source.

One, and two, and three, four, five. Keep fighting like this and you will die," Janco sang.

Nothing says you care for me better than offering to torture my enemies." He grinned. "No sense doing things halfhearted. And to think, some girls have to endure listening to poetry.

The others had taken Valek's return in stride, although Janco made a comment about Valek's lack of hair. "You ever notice how couples start to look alike?" he asked. In a deadpan, Valek replied, "Yes. In fact I was just thinking how much you and Topaz resemble each other. It's uncanny.