He looked up and for the briefest moment, I thought he was staring right at me. No longer angry, but still unsure. Troy spoke: I love you, too, Jazz. He stopped speaking and adjusted his weight, sitting up straighter. They added: Someone is coming. He closed his eyes and pretended to be sleeping. His cell door cranked open and a female voice spoke. "I brought you a friend. Try not to kill each other." Christopher stumbled into the room before turning and flashing his fangs. "You touch me like that again and you won't live to tell anyone about it." His hands were behind his back and black magic held his wrists together. The person he spoke to laughed. It was Sharra.I focused on Troy. His eyes burned into Chris like he would kill him. To Troy, I begged: Please remember, Chris is on our side. He believes in our love too. When Sharra forced me to kiss him, Chris stopped me and freed me from her magic. He's changed and he can help.I hoped that was true. As much as I trusted Chris

Determination weighed my shoulders down as I traversed the inkiness. As I went, I called out in my mind, using the magic within me to speak with Silindra and Laeddin. At once, my mind was there, in Laeddin's realm, in his library full of books. He and Silindra were there, standing close, reading something aloud. "Laeddin," I said. Laeddin glanced at me, or rather, my mental presence. Silindra looked up as well. "Is it just me or am I seeing Jasmine?" Surprise flickered across her too lovely face. "I see her too - somehow." Laeddin reached out, but his fingers couldn't touch me. I was there, but not really there. "I'm going to Sharra," I said, and looked from Laeddin to Silindra. "The darkness will swallow the earth soon. There is no more time. I need your help now. Please find me." "We're coming, Jasmine," Laeddin said, and took Silindra's hand. Were they a couple now? There was no time to figure it out. Silindra said, "Watch out for my sister. She's tricky.""I will," I said, a

Before I knew it, I was laughing as tears of joy leaked onto my cheeks. He set me on the ground and pushed my hair out of my face, then cupped it in his hands. "I love you vampire girl." "You do?" I believed him, but needed reassurance as my hands curled around his wrists. "More than I believed it was possible to love." He bent his head and gently touched his lips to mine, his eyes still open and on me. I kissed him back, as a gurgle of happiness shot through me. The sweet kiss turned hot and needy. I loved him and wanted him and didn't care who knew it. He pressed my mouth open, deepening our kiss as his arms went around my waist and he lifted me off the ground. "Hey you two?" It was my Mom. I froze and opened my eyes. Troy was watching me again. "Should we tell them?" he asked. I knew he was talking about our engagement. "Now's as good a time as any," I said as he set me on my feet. Troy took my hand and I turned to face the group. "We have an announcement," he said. The

That night, after all of the festivities were over and we said our goodbyes, Troy and I went back to the small house that used to be my mother's. Now that Sharra was no longer a threat, the chayot set up a meeting between several of the heads of different countries in the human realm and me. There, with the help of the chayot, we discussed relaxing the laws for supernaturals. Together we came to an agreement and I created a magical system with the help of Heathcliff and several other human scientists. After much discussion, I became aware of the KPID, a supernatural government agency known as the King's Paranormal Inquiries Division. The organization had been tracking supernaturals for hundreds of years, at first in the United Kingdom, but in the mid seventeen hundreds, they'd moved over to America as well. Given access to the KPID's super top secret information, I was able to update and strengthen the magic already in place as well as add some newer, more technical attributes with He