He gives her a reprieve on the teasing for now, slipping slowly out of her mind. He mourns the loss of intimacy, but if he has his way, it won't be for long. And he intends to have his way.

A shiver works through Stanton along with her power. There's something in him that's torn, between delighting in her strength, and rejecting it. He's the Prince of the Night, after all, cavorting about with goddesses is the last thing he's supposed to be doing.

He does it anyway. There's been a lot of that in his life ever since Vanessa came into it. A laugh escapes him at that little ta-da, and he takes her hand again, tugging her to him. "Do I meet your standards, then?"