When he finished, he drank from the cup. Everyone else did too, so I followed suit. And nearly choked to death. It was like fire in liquid form. It took every ounce of strength I had to swallow it and not spray it on those around me. "Wh...what is this?" I asked, coughing. Viktoria grinned. "Vodka." I peered at the glass. "No, it isn't. I've had vodka before." "Not Russian vodka." Apparently not.

Fiery and sweet, all at the same time. A flame in the dark, lighting my way.

I saw endless depths of brown, the depths I'd fallen into so many times. No red rings. Dimitri...was not a Strigoi. And he was weeping.

It doesn’t matter,” said Adrian, smiling. He rested a hand on my shoulder. “Some things are worth the trouble.

Look at it this way," Ms. Terwilliger said, after several moments of thought. "The callistana thinks of you two as its parents.

I want you to break the spell. Finish it off.” "What do you mean?” "The spell you did on me and Dimitri.” "That spell is done. It burned itself out.” I shook my head. "No. I keep thinking about him. I keep wanting to…” He smiled knowingly when I didn't finish. "My dear, that was already there, long before I set that up.

I’d mentioned this odd wardrobe choice to Adrian a couple of weeks ago: “Isn’t Dimitri hot?” Adrian’s response hadn’t been entirely unexpected: “Well, yeah, according to most women, at least.