What could I do ?	dy
All I could say was , " No.	dy
But the truth is that Tasha pointed it out from the one place where it could barely be seen , and I only felt envy that it had been designed by someone with understated good taste .	dy
Moreover , he never did portraits of famous people ; his works were therefore the reality and could never be compared to it .	dy
I suppose I could assist a friend .	ep
Still , if I do decide , we could practice - - "	ep
If I thought he could free me from you - - "	dy
" You could write a play about someone like him . "	dy
What else could he be called ? "	ep
I waited , and drank a glass of MorningAfter and three cups of coffee , and wondered whether our affair could survive the events of the night , and whether I wanted it to .	ep
It was as attractive and as impersonal as a decorator could arrange for tenants of unknown taste .	dy
Had he been faster , he could have had rage .	ep
She smiled in trust or pleasure or pride , an erotic Mona Lisa who would smile forever , and I could never know why .	dy
I could free Tasha .	dy
I could say that I did not dare to take responsibility for her fate .	ep
I could say that I chose out of consideration for her desire for fame ; some critics already say " Waking With Tasha " is Malaquez 's finest work .	ep
I got older and went to school , then to college , and I replaced the dreams my Nana gave me with the music DJs mixed for crowds in clubs , webs of pulse that shook us until we could believe anything .	dy
It was dark enough that I could actually see a few stars through the screen of city light .	dy
Without hearing the car horns , I could almost taste the air of late March through the street fumes .	dy
Now spring was back , under the concrete , and I could smell it even here .	dy
Through the dark , I could see three bolts left in the wall from where they ’ d taken down the crucifix .	dy
I didn ’ t know how they could miss such exotic features , even in that distorting light .	dy
The ceiling was high and wooden , and I could see part of a DJ ’ s booth down the hall .	dy
I don ’ t know how he could ’ ve been heard over the music . ”	dy
Please , if we could see him , we would be much obliged .	de
The next room had mosaics of what could have been Rome , with men in simple tunics working in a vineyard on one wall and men in odd , floppy hats on the other .	ep
If we only had a human on our staff , we could have done so ages ago and sold it off , but we have no such luck . ”	dy
“ That such a rock could hold so much magic – it ’ s a wonder . ”	dy
I thought that I could feel a slight itching .	dy
said Nepthys , “ you could use a drink . ”	ep
“ You could run on empty with a little of that stuff .	ep
I undid the strings and let the pouch sit on my palm so that I could see the stone inside .	dy
From behind him , I could hear something that sounded like a remix of the Cure ’ s “ A Forest ”	dy
Inside , the space opened into a wide , square chamber mirrored and so dark that it could have been any size .	ep
Nepthys interrupted , “ if this fool hadn ’ t accidentally woken her up before we could give her to our contact .	dy
“ You know I wouldn ’ t come to you if I could get this information another way , ”	dy
I thought back to seeing the man in the hollow church and described his skin , his dark hair , the way that light seemed to flow around him , as best as I could .	dy
When I had told her all that I could remember , she blinked her black lashes and said , “ I remember him . ”	dy
Nepthys could hardly believe her .	dy
I wasn ’ t sure that I could survive the crush of the crowd .	dy
A woman who could have been an elf twitched and jerked beside me , fingers trembling at the torn edges of her clothing .	ep
His eyes were glowing red , and he had bared a set of fangs that could probably take my hand off .	dy
He bashed up a set of stairs set into the side of the wall , and we chased up after him , heading up a huge staircase that seemed to go up for more stories than the building could have held .	dy
I raised the stake ; he drew back the dagger for a slash that could doubtless open my neck from throat to spine .	dy
I could perceive Nepthys ’ sword flashing over me , and I heard steel crack , then bone .	dy
