Hello! 'Shadow Scale' by Rachel Hartman came out yesterday, it's the sequel to 'Seraphina'. Also, I've been a little late getting to the Sweet Trilogy party, but I read the books on Monday and they were AMAZING! Seriously, if you haven't read them, you should ('Sweet Evil', 'Sweet Peril', 'Sweet Reckoning', and 'Sweet Temptation' in 2015). 'Sweet Temptation' is a companion, the story told in a certain Nephilim's POV. Disclaimer: I did not write the Bloodlines series or any of the affiliated characters.

"For Mercy has a human heart. Pity, a human face: And Love, the human form divine. And Peace, the human dress."–William Blake

MPOV

I really wasn't sure why I was so set on living in the same town Carly went to school in, but I knew I didn't want to leave her. I was in no way the right person for her, but the emotional center of my brain didn't seem to listen to reason. I cared for her, hell I loved her, and that didn't stand a chance against any reasoning. Love is utterly, and completely illogical. It triggers something in you that makes you decide that this other person's life is more important to you than your own, that you should die protecting, that you should move the earth to make them happy, that you should sacrifice your own happiness, if necessary, for their own. I should write a thesis on this, I could be on to something.

Carly kept fidgeting with her hands before she finally looked up at me with her piercing brown eyes. "Why?"

"I thought I told you. I have no idea."

"You never said that."

"Well, logically, I really don't have any idea."

"And illogically?"

I shrug. "You really want me to answer that?"

"Yes."

"I like you. A lot." God, I feel like such a prepubescent saying that.

"Oh…why?"

This I have to laugh at. "Because you're smart and you care about people, not just your family, but people you've never even met."

"I'm not so sure I would still care if I hadn't gone through what I have."

"Oh you would. It's something about your character, Sonya says your aura has caring very strongly imbedded in it."

"How can you have a trait imbedded in colors?"

I give her a look. "You know what I mean. Besides, you're funny and you've been through a lot, but you're still here. You. Are. Still. Here."

"And that makes you like me? A lot?" With the last part, Carly offers a teasing smile.

"Yeah."

Carly looks at her hands. "So she was right."

"Jesus, did she guess for fun?"

"It was a bet she swears she isn't a part of."

I raise a brow. "Adrian is, no question."

"Yeah."

"Which means he won."

"Undoubtedly. If he conferred with Sydney after she talked to me, he undoubtedly won. She tells him everything."

"Almost." I correct. I know for a fact she hasn't said a word about Re-Ed beyond what went on during the pow-wow over the phone in an attempt to get Zoe anti-Alch.

"Close enough…so you're really moving to the town where the University of Phoenix is located?"

"If you'll permit. I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's a town Marcus, it doesn't belong to me."

"No, but I would hate for you to avoid it in an attempt to avoid me."

"I tried avoiding you. You're like a mosquito or the plague."

"Nearly synonymous if we lived a couple hundred years ago."

"Marcus."

"Carly."

"Come with me."

I smile and arch a brow. "Is that a request?"

"It's an order.'

"Charming."

"Thought so."

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"I think I'm going to let you."

I brush my thumb over Carly's cheek before leaning in. We meet softly at first and I decide to let her take the lead for fear of triggering a negative emotional response. She only hesitates a second before responding. When I cut it off, she's sucking her lips and staring at me.

"What?"

"I've never been willingly kissed."–I grin and she rolls her eyes.–"Cocky bastard."

"It's a pleasure Ms. Rossi."

"That makes me feel incredibly old both in age and fashion."

"It's past midnight."

"Are you playacting Cinderella today?"

"No, but I thought you might like some sleep after the emotional toll of having Zoe finally leave."

"Yeah…you'll be next door?"

"Like I've been since we got here."

"Okay."

My lips brush Carly's cheek before I leave the room. Upon entering mine, I set to work researching and drafting up a nice little five-page thesis. Not nearly the length for a psychology PhD, but once I've pondered the thought of love and it's illogical nature, I plan on doing case studied. Those should be interesting.

Okay, so I tried to keep Marcus' character true to himself with the thoughts of loving Carly. I also tried to keep Carly herself during the emotional scenes. Since we really didn't see much of the latter in the series, I hope I did her justice.

R&R

Ciao