The Golden Lily

I was fairly certain there was no one in the entire world quite like Adrian Ivashkov.

A cluster of emotions boiled within me. Anger. Embarrassment. Reassurance. “You’ve got a lot to say for a drunk guy.”
“Oh, Sage. I’ve got a lot to say, drunk or sober.”

Wolfe strolled by. “Nice work, girl.” He gave Adrian a teeth-rattling slap on the back. “You were totally unprepared for her.” This seemed to distress Adrian even more, and I could’ve sworn I heard him mutter, “That’s for damned sure.”

“Adrian, you’re a genius.” He flinched in surprise. “Wait. What?”

“Too bad we’re ‘related.’ I’d ask you guys to dance. Seeing as my cousin already wants to go out with me, though, I suppose we shouldn’t start any more rumors.”

“Sage,” he said. “What are you wearing?” I sighed and stared down at the dress. “I know. It’s red. Don’t start. I’m tired of hearing about it.”
“Funny,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at it.”

“Do you know what it’s like to feel like something’s eating away at your mind?” I’d been about to tell him I needed to leave, but his words left me cold. I remembered Jill saying something similar when she was telling me about him and spirit. “No,” I said honestly. “I don’t know what it’s like… but to me, well, it’s pretty much one of the most terrifying things I can imagine. My mind, it… it’s who I am. I think I’d rather suffer any other injury in the world than have my mind tampered with.”

“He shouldn’t have said that,” repeated Adrian, eerily serious. He leaned his face toward mine. “I don’t care if he’s not the emotional type or the complimentary type or what. No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, ‘You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.’”

If I were him, I would have said, ‘You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.’”

“Too bad you got so bogged down in books,” he said. “You’ve got the spirit of a hunter.”

“What else am I supposed to do?” he asked. “Are you going to teach me?” I turned back to the beautiful Mustang. “Yes,” I said adamantly. “If that’s what it takes to save it from you.”

“Come on, we have to get out of here before you get worse. What were you thinking?” His expression was astonishingly nonchalant for someone who looked like he would pass out. “It was worth it. You looked… happy.”

“That’s crazy,” I said.
“Not the craziest thing I’ve ever done.” He smiled as he looked up at me. His eyes grew slightly unfocused, as though they were seeing more than just me. “What’s a little crazy here and there? I’m supposed to be doing experiments… why not see which is brighter: your aura or the sun?”

“Is she for real?” He paused and reconsidered. “Are you for real? Spells? Magic? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I drink blood and control people’s minds. But I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

“Ever had that happen? Once you can’t have something, you want it that much more.”
“Yes,” he said bitterly. “It happens all the time.”

“None of us are meant to be or do anything,” he said. “We decide what we’re going to be.”