“Xaphen swore an oath never to fail his primarch.Argal Tal did not. He spoke in a voice soft enough to break hearts, "We are heretics, father.”

“My father spoke with his hands. He was deaf. His voice was in his hands. And his hands contained his memories.”

“But still, here are the words Despereaux Tilling spoke to his father. He said, "I forgive you, Pa!" And he said those words because he sensed that it was the only way to save his heart, to stop it from breaking in two. Despereaux, reader, spoke those words to save himself.”

“We swore sacred oaths to be strong and to save the planet and to be friends forever.”

“Stop judging your life only by the failures," he whispered."What should I do?" she whispered. "I'm always going to fail.""We all do," he said softly, his voice closer now. "We all fail. But none of us fail all the time.”

“Oddly enough, it was Prudence he studied beneath his lashes, not MacKay. The words he spoke came straight from his heart. “No. Because she felt ashamed. Because she felt dirty. After the things he did to her, she could never feel worthy of someone as fine as you.”