Up In Smoke Quotes

“Carrie Fay always says that nothing is really horrible unless it eats away your face.”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“You meant it, didn’t you?’’

He was silent for a moment, no doubt reading my thoughts. ‘‘Yes, I meant it. You are life to me, May.’’

‘‘But you told me you were born in the seventeen hundreds. How could you live for three hundred years without me?’’

He examined my face for a moment before leaning forward, his kiss so sweet it made me want to melt. ‘‘Before you, I merely existed. Now I will truly begin to live”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“That’s the river up there. We’ll likely have to spend the night.’’ He slid me a curious glance. ‘‘I never asked whether you liked roughing it. I suppose now would be a good time, eh?’’

‘‘Cyrene wouldn’t be caught dead camping, not for the largest lake in the world, but I have nothing against nature.’’ A large cicada flew in through the window and smacked me on the face. Startled, I instantly shadowed and batted frantically at my face. It buzzed upward, into my hair. I shrieked and tried to cram my upper half out of the window in an attempt to dislodge the beastly thing.

Gabriel drove with one hand while plucking the large bug off the top of my head. He held it in front of me, one eyebrow raised as I deshadowed.

‘‘All right, perhaps I would have never made it as a Girl Scout, but you can’t judge me by my reaction to being assaulted by a large, hairy bug. I like animals. On the whole. And they like me. I just don’t like them flying into my face intent on making me look bad in front of you.’’

The cicada made an odd little chirping sound, just as if it was agreeing with me. Gabriel laughed and tossed it out of the window”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“Gabriel waited until Aisling had left the room before cocking an eyebrow at Drake. ‘‘Still haven’t told her she’s not going to the sárkány?’’

‘‘No.’’ Drake grimaced. ‘‘She’s not going to be pleased, but it is too dangerous. She will just have to understand.’’

Gabriel cast a considering glance my way. ‘‘May-ling, if you were in Aisling’s shoes, and I forbade you to attend a weyr meeting to which you wished to go, what would you do?’’

‘‘I’m a shadow walker. I would simply slip into the shadow world and go anyway. But if I was Aisling herself, I’d probably grab the nearest blunt instrument and smack you upside the head, then go to the meeting.’’

Drake snorted. ‘‘Aisling is not so crass. She would not behave in such a manner.’’ He paused as he walked past me, eyeing for a moment a small stone bust of a woman that sat on an isolated pedestal. He picked up the bust and stuffed it into one of thesideboard cupboards, a set look to his face as Gabriel laughed out loud.

‘‘You have learned, I think.’’

‘‘I am simply taking an unnecessaryprecaution, nothing more.’’ He hesitated again, then quickly whisked all the knives from the table, depositing them unobtrusively in an urn on the sideboard just as Aisling opened the door.

‘‘What did I miss?’’ she asked as Gabriel roared with laughter. ‘‘A good joke? I love jokes! Is it the one about the demon and the nun? That one always makes Jim wheeze”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“I rubbed my forehead. ‘‘And just why do you expect Neptune to listen to me?’’

‘‘He’ll listen because you’re you, Mayling! You’re important now! You’re a celebrity!’’

‘‘What on earth are you talking about?’’ I rubbed my forehead again. One of the side effects of speaking with Cyrene was a tendency to headaches. ‘‘I’m no celebrity.’’

‘‘Sure you are. You’re all they talk about at the clubs—the dragon’s mate who is also consort to a demon lord. It’s almost as good as what happened to Aisling, although you don’t have a demon like she has.’’

‘‘I have you,’’ I said with irony that I knew would completely bypass Cyrene.

‘‘And obviously that’s much more cool,’’ she agreed. ‘‘That’s why I want you to talk to Neptune. ”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“I have come!’’ Kostya yelled in a dramatic manner, tossing his head so the sweep of dark auburnhair that had come down over his forehead was flipped back.

‘‘Hello, everyone! Mayling! Isn’t this exciting?’’ Cyrene called, ruining Kostya’s big moment.

He glared at her.

‘‘Oh, I’m so sorry. Go right ahead, punkanoodle. I know you want tomake a good impression on everyone.’’

Even the sigh that Kostya heaved was filled with drama. ‘‘I told you not to call me that! It’s not fitting.’’

‘‘Sorry,’’ Cyrene said, looking remorseful. ‘‘Forgot. Go ahead, Kostie.’’

Even at the distance we were from the door, I could see Kostya cast a glance upward as he obviously soughtpatience. Gabriel made an odd snorting noise, as if he was trying to hold back laughter. Normally I would have had a hard time keeping my own face straight, but I was more concerned about what Cyrene was doing here than the fact that her personality and Kostya’s were so obviously unsuited to each other.”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“I completely under—oh!’’ Aisling hunched forward again as Gabriel slid his arm under her legs.

Drake exploded, slamming Gabriel up against the wall, snarling something that sounded vicious, his arm against Gabriel’s windpipe.

Maata and Tipene were instantly at his side but at a gesture from Gabriel backed away.

‘‘Drake, let him down. It’s just a twinge, nothing more!’’ Aisling said, waving me toward them. ‘‘Stop him, May. Although don’t hurt him; I’m rather fond of him as he is, overprotective tendencies and all.’’

I tapped Drake politely on the shoulder. ‘‘Would you mind letting Gabriel down? I promise I won’t let him hold Aisling’s hand anymore. Or touch her stomach.’’

Drake eyed Gabriel for a moment. I have to admit that Gabriel surprised me by not fighting back. Having seen him go at it with Drake’s black-dragon brother, Kostya, I knew he was not one to remain passive when attacked. But he stayed still, not struggling at all despite the fact that his face was gaining a dull red tint due to lack of oxygen.

‘‘All right,’’ Drake said at last, removing his hold on Gabriel. ‘‘But I will hold you responsible for his actions.’’

Gabriel’s eyes flashed in warning, but Aisling bursting into laughter defused the situation enough that he could see the ridiculousness of such a comment.

I touched a faintly swollen spot on Gabriel’s neck. ‘‘Would you like me to kiss what hurts and make it better?’’ I asked softly.

He’d been looking at Aisling, obviously about to make some observation about her health, but at my words a new look of interest filled his eyes. ‘‘Only if I get to pick what needs kissing.’’

‘‘I am so glad Jim is not present to hear that, because it would no doubt make all sorts of inappropriate comments that would force me tosmack it with a rolled-up magazine, and then we’d be back to Gabriel groping my stomach and Drake having a hissy fit,’’ Aisling said, helping herself to a glass of orange juice.”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke

“Guys, I’m not in labor. I just moved too quickly, OK?’’ Aisling said.

‘‘Take your hands off her,’’ Drake said in a low voice that sounded very much like a growl.

Jim sucked in its breath, sitting up to watch.

‘‘I’m not hurting her,’’ Gabriel answered, bending over her belly as he continued to gently prod her. ‘‘I’m simply trying to ascertain if she’s in labor or not. Aisling, is the pain sharp or dull?’’

The door opened, and Gabriel’s two bodyguards, Tipene and Maata, entered. Behind them came one of Drake’s men, a thick-necked, redheaded man named István. The latter picked up on Gabriel’s question.

‘‘Aisling is in pain? She is having the baby?’’

‘‘I should examine you more fully,’’ Gabriel said, smiling at Aisling as he took her hand. ‘‘Do not worry, Aisling. I have delivered many dragons over the centuries. My mother is a very good midwifeand has taught me well.’’

Drake snatched up her other hand. ‘‘You will not examine my mate any further! We have an excellent green-dragon midwife who is attending her. Now, get away from her before I have you removed!’’

Aisling looked perfectly fine to me. She rolled her eyes, casting a pleading look skyward. I might not have experience in this area, but it was clear to me that she was not in labor. I shot a glare at Gabriel, grinding my teeth just a little at the stupidity of what was normally such a bright man, my fingers itching to pry his hand from Aisling’s.

‘‘I will tell you once more—remove your hands from her!’’ Drake’s voice got even more menacing.

‘‘Gabriel, I think she would know if she was in labor,’’ I said, nudging the dragon of mydreams a bit more forcefully.

‘‘A voice of reason at last,’’ Aisling said, giving me a smile. ‘‘Guys, I’m not—’’

István turned in the doorway and bellowed out of it. ‘‘Pál! Call the midwife! Aisling is in labor! I will call Nora and Rene. They wish to be here, yes? Should I boil water?’’

He evidently asked the last bit of Maata, who, as the female member of Gabriel’s attendants, was obviously expected to know the answer. Maata looked surprised. ‘‘Would it make you feel better to boil water?’’ she asked.

István nodded his head vigorously. ‘‘It is done, is it not? The boiling of water? It is important. I saw it in a movie.’’

‘‘Then, by all means, boil water,’’ she answered.

István nodded again, announced to the room in general, ‘‘I boil water!’’ and rushed out to suit action to word.

Pál, the second of Drake’s two redheaded bodyguards, slammed into István as he was leaving, scattering apologies as he dashed into the room, a cell phone in his hand. ‘‘The midwife’s phone is busy!’’ he said, offering the phone to Drake as proof.

‘‘Oh, man, if there’s going to be baby juice and blood and guck, I’m getting out of here,’’ Jim said, sidling around the clutch of people that surrounded Aisling. ‘‘I’m going to Amelie’s to be with Cecile. Someone tell me when it’s all over.’’

‘‘Hello, can anyone hear me? I’m not in labor!’’ Aisling said.

‘‘What should I do?’’ Pál asked Drake, shaking the phone at him. ‘‘It is busy! Busy! How can it be busy?’’

A little wisp of smoke escaped Drake’s nose as he glared at the phone. ‘‘It should not be busy. Go fetch her. There is no business she can have as important as this.’’

Pál didn’t stop to answer; he just bolted from the room.

‘‘Oh, for the love of Pete! I’m not in pain! And unless dragons have some sort ofpainless labor, a notion your mother vehemently says is false, then I’m not having the baby,’’ Aisling said, but was drowned out by Maata asking if Gabriel needed help at the same time Tipene offered to take overmidwife phone duty.”
― Katie MacAlister, Up In Smoke