This letter is written on the skin of one of the water sprites who drowned your parents.'
'Ick!' I cried, and dropped the letter on the kitchen table.

A year ago,' I said, 'you wouldn’t have asked this of me.'
'A year ago,' he answered, 'you wouldn’t have hesitated to drink.'
I crossed to the desk and tossed it down.

I'm supposed to be a christian, but most days I don't feel like I can even presume to say that about myself any longer. I have a lot of mad left over. When I can't sleep, I think about the other people who didn't care how much pain and trouble they caused me. And I think about how good I'd feel if they died.

A dog – a collie – went up to Eric, looked up at his face, and growled.
“Shoo,” Eric said, making an imperious gesture with his hand.

Oh, God, puppy dog eyes. From a six-foot-five ancient Viking vampire.

Sometimes you just have to regret things and move on.