Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

"I could admire his skills, and be relieved when he was on my side in a fight. But for a rat to like the cat? That scenario ended only one way. With one dead rat."

"Your soul is drenched black with the blood of your victims, my dear, and that is why you can't see it. When you die, that heavy blood filled essence will sink to the bottom of the earth where you will burn in eternity for your crimes."

"Two men. I had just killed two men. A killing machine, I hadn't even hesitated. Fear and rage settled deep in my chest, forming a layer of ice around my heart."

"Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you...but you slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart."

"Trusting is hard. Knowing who to trust, even harder."

"Only the weak invite their demons to live with them. Isn't that right?"

"It's a dirty way to fight, but I'm late for lunch."- Valek to Yelena"

"I peered deeper and found my soul. A little tattered and with some holes, but there all the same. It had always been there, I realized with shock."

"The uniform enhanced his athletic body, and my thoughts drifted to how magnificent he would look with his uniform puddled around his feet."

"But you've slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart."

"Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath in my ear sent a shiver down my spine."But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”“That sounds more like a poison than a person,” was all I could say. His confession had both shocked and thrilled me.“Exactly,” Valek replied. “You have poisoned me."