"Because lately, my life really did seem like it was on the precipice of being a dream. There were days I thought I'd wake up and discover that recent events in my life hadn't actually happened. Surely I must be a princess in an enchanted sleep" (Prologue, p. 11).

"Just like with every Strigoi I'd killed lately, I had a momentary surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri?" (Chapter 2, p. 31).

"Despite how cool it was, I actually tried to tune out the city's sights and sounds after a while because it reminded me of...well, Dimitri" (Chapter 4, p. 59).

"All the stories were about Dimitri's kindness and strength of character. Even when not out battling the undead, Dimitri had always been there to help those who needed it" (Chapter 9, p. 135).

"I missed Lissa. I even kind of missed Adrian. And now someone else was taking my place, someone who...