“Red light flickered behind her closed eyelids, and when she opened them, she discovered that they were surrounded by flames. Let it burn.... His sleek brow wrinkled, and he shook his head. Poor man looked conflicted, which was an interesting expression on a nightmare. "Your city is on fire." She smiled languidly. "Ain't it grand?”

“There is no reason for beauty. It just is.”

“The Agora had fallen, too. Vince turned the radio off, dismissing what they'd just heard, and merged onto I-87. A little shriek of madness sounded in the back of his brain, but he said, with admirable calm considering, "Seriously, love, I think we've got this.”

“The sooner it's over, the sooner we can go back to bed. Everything good happens in bed.”

“He dragged her to him, and she, being equally focused on attaching her mouth to his, lost her balance. Stepping in for the save, he held her up against the doorjamb with his hard body, mouth rasping hers, tongue deep enough to touch her soul. Could be oxygen deprivation, but she saw stars behind her closed lids.”

“Rook cocked his head. "Harlen would want me to give you more time.""I could punch you again, even while being proxied," she offered. "Would that satisfy you?""And into the Scrape we go," he said.”

“There is no reason for any of this if we don't survive." Vince reached out and ran a hand through her long hair. "Ah, love. That's where you're wrong. As long as we do what we're meant to do, it doesn't really matter if we survive or not.”

“Has anyone else here seen or fought a nightmare?"Marshal Spence Neumann lifted his head. "Seen one. Swear to God it looked like my ex-wife for a second."A chuckle rumbled within the group. Someone mumbled, "She was a nightmare.”

“Sleep," he commanded. "You need to rest after being jumped.""You could jump me.”

“He's a nightmare," she said. "I can be, too." Rook answered, his red eyes glowing. "Just try me.”

“Even dead he won't let me go!" "Third time's the charm.”