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He laughed. "Of course you are. I counted the boxes after you left. Besides, I can smell it on you. It's nice. Sharp…but still sweet—just like I'm sure you are deep down inside. And you got it right, you know. Just enough to add an edge…but not enough to drown your own scent." The way he said "scent" made it sound like a dirty word. Royal Moroi might make me uncomfortable, but smartass guys hitting on me didn't. I dealt with them on a regular basis. I shook off my shyness and remembered who I was. "Hey," I said, tossing my hair back. "I had every right to take one. You offered them. Your mistake is in assuming me taking one means anything. It doesn't. Except that maybe you should be more careful with where you dump all that money of yours." "Ooh, Rose Hathaway is here to play, folks." He paused and took a glass of what looked like champagne from a passing waiter. "You want one?" "I don't drink." "Right." Adrian handed me a glass anyway, then shooed the waiter away and took a drink of the champagne. I had a feeling it wasn't his first of the night. "So. Sounds like our Vasilisa put my dad in his place." "Your …" I glanced back at the group I'd just left. Silver Hair still stood there, gesticulating wildly. "That guy's your dad?" "That's what my mom says." "You agree with him? About how Moroi fighting would be suicide?" Adrian shrugged and took another sip. "I don't really have an opinion on that." "That's not possible. How can you not feel one way or another?" "Dunno. Just not something I think about. I've got better things to do." "Like stalk me," I suggested. "And Lissa." I still wanted to know why she'd been in his room. He smiled again. "I told you, you're the one following me."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Five times—" I stopped. "Five times?" He nodded. "No, it's only been four." With my free hand, I ticked them off. "There was that first night, the night at the spa, then when I came to your room, and now tonight." The smile turned secretive. "If you say so." "I do say so…" Again, my words trailed off. I had talked to Adrian one other time. Sort of. "You can't mean …" "Mean what?" A curious, eager expression lit his eyes. It was more hopeful than presumptuous. I swallowed, recalling the dream. "Nothing." Without thinking about it, I took a drink of champagne. Across the room, Lissa's feelings burned back to me, calm and content. Good. "Why are you smiling?" Adrian asked. "Because Lissa's still over there, working that crowd." "No surprise there. She's one of those people who can charm anyone she wants if she tries hard enough. Even people who hate her." I gave him a wry look. "I feel that way when I talk to you." "But you don't hate me," he said, finishing the last of his champagne. "Not really." "I don't like you either." "So you keep saying." He took a step toward me, not threatening, just making the space between us more intimate. "But I can live with that." "Rose!" The sharpness of my mother's voice cut through the air. A few people within earshot glanced over at us. My mother—all five angry feet of her—stormed up to us.
- 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." "
- Page 152 and 153: FIFTEEN I WAS TRYING TO PAINT my to
- Page 154 and 155: "I'm returning these." I hoisted th
- Page 156 and 157: The rest of us just sort of stared.
- Page 158 and 159: My anger and snarkiness dried up. T
- Page 160 and 161: "You can't keep doing this," she gr
- Page 162 and 163: He stopped walking. "We could go."
- Page 164 and 165: I was kissing Mason, but in my head
- Page 166 and 167: SIXTEEN LISSA FOUND ME LATER IN the
- Page 168 and 169: She eyed me. "How much do you know?
- Page 170 and 171: along with their blood, but they di
- Page 172 and 173: Intrigued gazes turned her way agai
- Page 176 and 177: SEVENTEEN WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
- Page 178 and 179: there, and several people had witne
- Page 180 and 181: spreading rumors about her? I'd had
- Page 182 and 183: EIGHTEEN THE HIGH HEELS WERE STARTI
- Page 184 and 185: Someone, say, like Mia. I wasn't th
- Page 186 and 187: the guardians hadn't done anything
- Page 188 and 189: to get to town fast, and I prayed C
- Page 190 and 191: Dimitri sighed and leaned back on h
- Page 192 and 193: "No, but the school's guardians can
- Page 194 and 195: T D V L D Z S I Some had lines and
- Page 196 and 197: We turned and walked down a narrow
- Page 198 and 199: NINETEEN I HATE BEING POWERLESS. AN
- Page 200 and 201: each other's gaze for several momen
- Page 202 and 203: framed his face and stood out again
- Page 204 and 205: Isaiah smoothed his shirt—not tha
- Page 206 and 207: "Rose!" exclaimed Mason. I ignored
- Page 208 and 209: TWENTY WE NEEDED AN ESCAPE PLAN, an
- Page 210 and 211: "Honestly, I don't know. Everyone h
- Page 212 and 213: "No!" exclaimed Mason. "Use me." Is
- Page 214 and 215: "They're like … bands of light ar
- Page 216 and 217: "You just said you could." "I can
- Page 218 and 219: I held his gaze, willing him to und
- Page 220 and 221: One of the guards shoved Christian.
- Page 222 and 223: in my combat class. He grunted at t
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Five times—" I stopped. "Five times?"<br />
He nodded.<br />
"No, it's only been four." With my free hand, I ticked them off. "There was that first night, the<br />
night at the spa, then when I came to your room, and now tonight."<br />
The smile turned secretive. "If you say so."<br />
"I do say so…" Again, my words trailed off. I had talked to Adrian one other time. Sort of.<br />
"You can't mean …"<br />
"Mean what?" A curious, eager expression lit his eyes. It was more hopeful than presumptuous.<br />
I swallowed, recalling the dream. "Nothing." Without thinking about it, I took a drink of<br />
champagne. Across the room, Lissa's feelings burned back to me, calm and content. Good.<br />
"Why are you smiling?" Adrian asked.<br />
"Because Lissa's still over there, working that crowd."<br />
"No surprise there. She's one of those people who can charm anyone she wants if she tries hard<br />
enough. Even people who hate her."<br />
I gave him a wry look. "I feel that way when I talk to you."<br />
"But you don't hate me," he said, finishing the last of his champagne. "Not really."<br />
"I don't like you either."<br />
"So you keep saying." He took a step toward me, not threatening, just making the space<br />
between us more intimate. "But I can live with that."<br />
"Rose!"<br />
The sharpness of my mother's voice cut through the air. A few people within earshot glanced<br />
over at us. My mother—all five angry feet of her—stormed up to us.
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