Different time, different place,” I said. “Things can change. People can change.

Besides, I could hardly complain to the administration that I was being forced to learn magic.

Are you sleepwalking?' A voice asked behind me. "I was testing dorm security," I said. "It sucks.

If she just wanted to come home at night to eye candy with good hair, I could probably be that reasonably well.

Sage?" Adrian lightly touched my arm, and I jumped at the feel of his fingertips against my skin. "You okay?" "I don't know," I said softly. "I just thought of something crazy." "Welcome to my world.

The training part," I guessed. "Yup. You're going to be Dimitri's partner." A moment of funny silence fell, probably not noticeable to anyone except Dimitri and me. Our eyes met. "Guarding partner," Dimitri clarified unnecessarily, like maybe he too had been thinking of other kinds of partners.

For a moment, staring down and realizing what I'd just done, I wanted to throw myself in after him, because surely there was no way I could go on living now.