Snippet

Cassie
"I can't believe you're leaving." Destiny sat cross-legged on my bed and watched me pack.
"Not my choice—not if I want to finish law school before I'm eligible for Medicare," I muttered.
"The only thing I miss is the Mellow Mushroom," Destiny sighed. She'd named our favorite pizza place in Tuscaloosa. Aunt Shelbie would bring Destiny after school and meet me there once a week while I was in law school, so we could have a meal together.
"I miss the 'shroom, too," I said. "Just not enough to live in Alabama for another year." I didn't say that I missed Aunt Shelbie more. I wanted to curse the ground Ross Diablo died on, because he'd had her killed.

Rocky had his back turned to me and was reaching for the wolf again when I landed on his back, my prelim skipped over in favor of my full Fire Demon.
He roared loud enough to shake half the ceiling down on us, which caught fire the moment it touched any part of me.
"Get them out," I shouted to the half-dazed werewolf. To my ears, it sounded as if I were roaring as loudly as the Rock Demon, who was now screaming beneath my weight and my fire.

Robin Newbourne
"I may have been mistaken," I sighed and placed a cup of coffee at Cliff's elbow.
"About what? Oh, they're starting up again."
"About that. Who knew he'd come to his senses?" I asked, lifting my own cup and drinking. I'd added half a cup of Scotch to my coffee; I needed it, what with the sound of demon sex going on in the backyard.
"I hope they don't intend to make that hollow a permanent one," Cliff muttered and drank his coffee.

Cassie
King Averill of the Earth Sprites sat at the kitchen table, eating pizza and drinking hard cider as if he were used to doing it every day.
Two scholars he'd brought with him also sat at the table, eating pizza, drinking hard cider and examining the pyramid as if they were used to doing that every day.
The King's guards stood by the back door, watching the King and his scholars carefully while they tended to business.
Who knew that Rob was the King's General? I sure didn't. I was learning that Rob's position was sort of important in the Earth Sprite realm.
Rob must have guessed what I was thinking—he and I leaned against the kitchen counter, side-by-side, watching the Sprite scholars as they mumbled to each other in their own language while looking at the small pyramid.
"See," Rob whispered, bumping his shoulder against mine, "We're not just a soft drink."