o_18vdqvms01tdp1ck54q91frg17mg2d.pdf
"Ah," he said triumphantly. "She finally cracks." I glowered. "She does not." After another survey of his crazy route, I conceded. "Okay. Let's do it." He gestured. "You first." I took a deep breath and leapt off. My skis slid smoothly over the snow, and piercing wind blasted into my face. I made the first jump neatly and precisely, but as the next part of the course sped forward, I realized just how dangerous it really was. In that split second, I had a decision to make. If I didn't do it, I'd never hear the end of it from Mason—and I really wanted to show him up. If I did manage it, I could feel pretty secure about my awesomeness. But if I tried and messed up … I could break my neck. Somewhere in my head, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Dimitri's started talking about wise choices and learning when to show restraint. I decided to ignore that voice and went for it. This course was as hard as I'd feared, but I pulled it off flawlessly, one insane move after another. Snow flew up around me as I made each sharp, dangerous turn. When I safely reached bottom, I looked up and saw Mason gesturing wildly. I couldn't make out his expression or words, but I could imagine his cheers. I waved back and waited for him to follow suit. But he didn't. Because when Mason got halfway down, he wasn't able to pull off one of the jumps. His skis caught, and his legs twisted. Down he went. I reached him at about the same time some of the resort staff did. To everyone's relief, Mason hadn't broken his neck or anything else. His ankle did appear to have a nasty sprain, however, which was probably going to limit his skiing for the rest of the trip. One of the instructors monitoring the slopes ran forward, fury all over her face. "What were you kids thinking?" she exclaimed. She turned on me. "I couldn't believe it when you did those stupid stunts!" Her glare fixed on Mason next. "And then you had to go ahead and copy her!"
I wanted to argue that it had all been his idea, but blame didn't matter at this point. I was just glad he was all right. But as we all went inside, guilt began to gnaw at me. I had acted irresponsibly. What if he'd been seriously injured? Horrible visions danced through my mind. Mason with a broken leg … a broken neck… What had I been thinking? No one had made me do that course. Mason had suggested it… but I hadn't fought back. Goodness knew I probably could have. I might have had to endure some mockery, but Mason was crazy enough about me that feminine wiles probably would have stopped this madness. I'd gotten caught up in the excitement and the risk—much as I had in kissing Dimitri—not giving enough thought to the consequences because secretly, inside of me, that impulsive desire to be wild still lurked. Mason had it too, and his called to me. That mental Dimitri voice chastised me once more. After Mason was safely returned to the lodge and had ice on his ankle, I carried our equipment back outside toward the storage buildings. When I went back inside, I went through a different doorway than I normally used. This entrance was set behind a huge, open porch with an ornate wooden railing. The porch was built into the side of the mountain and had a breathtaking view of the other peaks and valleys around us— if you felt like standing around long enough in freezing temperatures to admire it. Which most people didn't. I walked up the steps to the porch, stomping snow off my boots as I did. A thick scent, both spicy and sweet, hung in the air. Something about it felt familiar, but before I could identify it, a voice suddenly spoke to me out of the shadows. "Hey, little dhampir." Startled, I realized someone was indeed standing on the porch. A guy—a Moroi—leaned against the wall not far from the door. He brought a cigarette up to his mouth, took a long drag, and then dropped it to the floor. He stamped the butt out and crooked me a smile. That was the scent, I realized. Clove cigarettes. Warily, I stopped and crossed my arms as I took him in. He was a little shorter than Dimitri but wasn't as lanky as some Moroi guys ended up looking. A long, charcoal coat—probably made out of some insanely expensive cashmere-wool blend—fit his body exceptionally well, and the
- Page 52 and 53: FIVE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT Dimitri was
- Page 54 and 55: observed before, though, Strigoi we
- Page 56 and 57: "Hard to say," I said. Tasha crooke
- Page 58 and 59: "Me too," said Lissa. "Maybe we cou
- Page 60 and 61: "Russian's weird," In Russian, the
- Page 62 and 63: He'd technically been up all of the
- Page 64 and 65: women often had short-term affairs
- Page 66 and 67: make sure she doesn't have a concus
- Page 68 and 69: SEVEN I ANGRILY PUSHED THROUGH THE
- Page 70 and 71: Mia saw my hesitation, and it was l
- Page 72 and 73: "Whatever. I can tell when you're l
- Page 74 and 75: Before I could open my mouth, I fel
- Page 76 and 77: had been a long time since I'd kiss
- Page 78 and 79: EIGHT CHRISTIAN WAS KISSING HER, AN
- Page 80 and 81: "The truth, huh? No one wants to he
- Page 82 and 83: He rolled his eyes, still smiling.
- Page 84 and 85: "Look at me," he ordered. "Dimitri
- Page 86 and 87: shouting. "I swear, sometimes it's
- Page 88 and 89: NINE I DIDN'T SEE DIMITRI FOR a whi
- Page 90 and 91: Christian were chatting on in their
- Page 92 and 93: I honestly couldn't believe we were
- Page 94 and 95: "Good." She opened her mouth, and I
- Page 96 and 97: "I'm really tired," I repeated. I c
- Page 98 and 99: TEN THE SKI TRIP COULDN'T HAVE come
- Page 100 and 101: Inside, all sorts of arrangements h
- Page 104 and 105: leather dress shoes he wore indicat
- Page 106 and 107: "And you think I'm trouble," I mutt
- Page 108 and 109: get a couple of guys to tell everyo
- Page 110 and 111: ELEVEN LISSA WAS UP AND GONE before
- Page 112 and 113: Even I wouldn't want her face burne
- Page 114 and 115: I looked between both their faces.
- Page 116 and 117: could look up and see the stars spi
- Page 118 and 119: Adrian leaned against the porch's r
- Page 120 and 121: TWELVE I WAS OUT OF BED in a flash.
- Page 122 and 123: My mother flipped through some pape
- Page 124 and 125: I moved in front of her and placed
- Page 126 and 127: was one of the ruling Moroi, and as
- Page 128 and 129: was pulled back into a ponytail, co
- Page 130 and 131: Tasha shrugged. "If that's what it
- Page 132 and 133: "I have my sources." Somehow, sayin
- Page 134 and 135: I remembered Adrian's arm was still
- Page 136 and 137: I looked at Mason questioningly. It
- Page 138 and 139: attle strategies. The fact that she
- Page 140 and 141: FOURTEEN TWO GUYS I'D NEVER MET bef
- Page 142 and 143: The guy clenched his fists and look
- Page 144 and 145: "My boyfriend," I said. "Sort of."
- Page 146 and 147: "Hey yourself, cousin," he returned
- Page 148 and 149: "It's okay," he said. "I have a goo
- Page 150 and 151: "I'm just telling you the truth." "
I wanted to argue that it had all been his idea, but blame didn't matter at this point. I was just<br />
glad he was all right. But as we all went inside, guilt began to gnaw at me. I had acted<br />
irresponsibly. What if he'd been seriously injured? Horrible visions danced through my mind.<br />
Mason with a broken leg … a broken neck…<br />
What had I been thinking? No one had made me do that course. Mason had suggested it… but I<br />
hadn't fought back. Goodness knew I probably could have. I might have had to endure some<br />
mockery, but Mason was crazy enough about me that feminine wiles probably would have<br />
stopped this madness. I'd gotten caught up in the excitement and the risk—much as I had in<br />
kissing Dimitri—not giving enough thought to the consequences because secretly, inside of me,<br />
that impulsive desire to be wild still lurked. Mason had it too, and his called to me.<br />
That mental Dimitri voice chastised me once more.<br />
After Mason was safely returned to the lodge and had ice on his ankle, I carried our equipment<br />
back outside toward the storage buildings. When I went back inside, I went through a different<br />
doorway than I normally used. This entrance was set behind a huge, open porch with an ornate<br />
wooden railing. The porch was built into the side of the mountain and had a breathtaking view<br />
of the other peaks and valleys around us— if you felt like standing around long enough in<br />
freezing temperatures to admire it. Which most people didn't.<br />
I walked up the steps to the porch, stomping snow off my boots as I did. A thick scent, both<br />
spicy and sweet, hung in the air. Something about it felt familiar, but before I could identify it,<br />
a voice suddenly spoke to me out of the shadows.<br />
"Hey, little dhampir."<br />
Startled, I realized someone was indeed standing on the porch. A guy—a Moroi—leaned<br />
against the wall not far from the door. He brought a cigarette up to his mouth, took a long drag,<br />
and then dropped it to the floor. He stamped the butt out and crooked me a smile. That was the<br />
scent, I realized. Clove cigarettes.<br />
Warily, I stopped and crossed my arms as I took him in. He was a little shorter than Dimitri but<br />
wasn't as lanky as some Moroi guys ended up looking. A long, charcoal coat—probably made<br />
out of some insanely expensive cashmere-wool blend—fit his body exceptionally well, and the
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