And yet the mere thought of it sent frissons of pleasure up and down my spine, awakening the most desperate desire of my life, as I realized there was one thing in this world that I wanted more than Arken’s body. I wanted her heart. I would die for it. I would kill for it. I didn’t deserve it—I could live a thousand lifetimes and still never possibly deserve it, but that wasn’t enough to stop me. Though perhaps it should have been.

