"Are you going to make us wear hideous dresses?" Millie asked. "That's what brides do, right? Because they want to look the best. They put all the pretty friends in ugly clothes."

Agnes tapped her long fingernail on her chin. "That's the most intelligent thing I've heard you say…well, ever." I glared at her. "I'm sure I've said other intelligent things." "Not to me."

“What an amazing skill,” I said. Drop-dead gorgeous with the ability to inspire and help others achieve their dreams. If I could choose to be any paranormal, a muse seemed like a pretty good deal to me.

I glared at him. "First of all, Frank can't hear you. Second of all, why are you watching me wake up? That's creepy." Gareth shrugged. "I get bored. You overestimate what a vampire ghost has to do in a town like Spellbound."

“You don’t think it’s a strange request?” I asked. I did, and I was the one asking.

“Do you not trust me?” He began to sulk. You haven’t seen sulking until you’ve seen a vampire ghost do it with flare.

“You miss your relationship or you miss someone doing things for you?” I queried. He offered a rueful smile. “Is it wrong to want both?”

I slipped on my shoes. “One minute you’re driving the getaway car and the next minute you’re offering advice on my intimate apparel? Make up your mind.” Gareth shuddered. “Forget I said anything.” “About my sex clothes?” I said. “I’ve already forgotten.”

“We’re sorry, Emma,” Begonia said. “We tried to encourage her to surprise you another way.” Translation: we couldn’t control the crazy witch. Message received.

“Remind me never to grow up. Adulting sounds too complicated.”

My heart soared at the mention of his name. "It's been pretty great, actually. It's such a nice change to just be together like a normal couple. Okay, maybe not a normal couple since we’re an angel and a sorceress, but still…”

I sat in my weekly therapy session, alcoholic drink in hand. Catherine Hall ran her practice like a bartender with a psychology degree. Admittedly it was a strange mixture, but it seemed to be working for me. It helped that I was fond of the eccentric vampire.

"The truth is important," Gareth said. "No matter how difficult it is to learn."

My anxiety was on high alert and I pounded my fist on the stone wall. "Let me out!"

It doesn't matter how smart or stupid or young or old someone is. We all have something to contribute to the community at large, even if it’s simply our sunny disposition.”

Her inquisitive hazel eyes locked on me. "Fine. I'll talk to you. But only on the front porch. I'm not risking you tracking any black magic through my house."

There were no tears, but I didn’t judge her for that. I knew grief took many forms and not all of them involved public displays of histrionics. I would never use that as a measure of someone's love for the deceased.

Stars and stones, Gareth was right. Vampires were like a catty group of mean high school girls.

Carolina barked a short laugh. "Of course we had issues. We're immortal and married. Issues are inevitable. Certainly nothing worth staking him over, though."

I was not what you would've called a sophisticated child. Then again, there was something to be said for naiveté. There was a certain magic connected to ignorance that I missed sometimes.

"You know I don't mind being labeled as a dreamer," Begonia said. "The world needs dreamers too."

"This is how we make progress. If we never did anything wrong, how would we learn anything at all?"