Lesley Livingston

I'm so sorry, bright little thing.""For what, my lord?:" I asked, my voice small and lost in the dim air.His words caught in his throat as he answered. "For not making the world a place where you could choose to fight for yourself.

This oath is the oath we all swear. Not to a god, or a master, or to the Ludu Achillea...but to our sisters who stand here with us. Our sisters. This is the oath that binds us all, one to one, all to all, so that we are no longer free. We belong to each other. We are bound to each other. In swearing to each other, we free ourselves from the outside world, from the world of men, from those who would seek to bind us to Fate and that which would make us slaves. We sacrifice our liberty so that, ultimately, we can be truly free.

Kelley. Your name is Kelley, isn't it?" He didn't wait for her confirmation. "Yes. Well. Tell me...that bit just now...was that from Dante's Inferno?"Uh...no," Kelley stammered. Her face felt hot.Really?"I'm in for it.Are you sure?" he continued. "Because it most certainly wasn't from this play. And it bloody well sounded like hell.

You know the life you have committed yourself to often ends in death.All life does.pg 217

The Janus Guard will also be out that night,_ he said, one hand reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. __ust as we have been and will be for every night of the Nine.___ood.___peaking of which__elley_ Sonny seemed suddenly exhausted. He turned his face to the west, and she could see the fatigue etched into the lines and planes of his face. __t__ getting late. You need to leave the park. Please. Don__ argue with me this time. Just go. The sun will set soon, and I have to go to work.__e squared his shoulders as though he expected her to put up a fight. She did__ little__ut only out of actual concern for him. __houldn__ you be taking it easy? I mean, you try to hide it with the whole tough-guy-swagger thing and all, but I saw the bandages. You__e really hurt. Aren__ you?___t__ not so bad.___ow. You are a terrible liar.__e frowned fiercely at her.__ou also look like you haven__ slept in a week._ She took a tentative step toward him and put a hand on his chest, looking up into his silver-gray eyes. He put his hand over the top of hers, and she could feel the rhythm of his heart beating under her palm, through his shirt and the bandages.____ fine.___re you sure?__ith his other hand, Sonny reached up and brushed a stray auburn curl out of her eyes.____ sure.__e smiled down at her, and she felt her insides melt a little. His whole face changed when he smiled. It was like the sun coming out.__ut,_ he continued, ____l be even better if you are safe at home and I don__ have to worry about you for tonight.___ can take care of myself, Sonny Flannery,_ she bristled, halfheartedly.__lease?_ He turned up the wattage on his smile.___okay._ She felt her own lips turn up in a shy, answering smile. ____l be good. This once.___hat__ my girl.__elley was silent. Those three words of Sonny__ had managed to render her utterly speechless.