"'you have nothing to fear, gabrielle richter,' cackled the demon, flicking his eyes to her. 'i know better than to think i can move someone as cold as you. after rowan recruited you away from your nothing life in that nothing town, you never went back, did you? naturally, you were ashamed of your father's drinking and the way decent folk scorned your mother. a pity they died in that fire before you got a chance to say goodbye. i'm sure you were the last thing on their minds, beautiful and brilliant gabrielle who went off to a something life in a something town and never looked back. i'm sure they'd be proud. i know you must be...'"
- the maelstrom, henry h. neff



























