“He'd become so accustomed to having her there, right there next to him, that he found he could no longer go the day without needing to see her. Even the space of a few hours made him feel restless and dissatisfied.”

“Let me enlighten you. We are a pack of liars, thieves, and wastrels, the lot ofus...There is not an honestly gained parcel of land in the whole earldom. Every acre, every village was stolen through one reprehensible manner or another. Deceit, blackmail, extortion, all ofit. It’s disgusting.”Alex waited a moment to make sure Whit was quite through before asking, “How long ago?”“Did we steal the land, do you mean?”Alex nodded.“Up until about a hundred years ago, then the wastrels took over.”

“There's a switch inside every one of us that I guess grew there as a necessary part of survival. How can you drag a fish up out of the river for your supper if you feel the yank of the hook in your own cheek? I get that part. We can't feel for everyone and everything all the time. We'd die of fear or sorrow a hundred times a day. The thing is, it's gotten so we flick the switch off like it's nothing. And, more often than not, we forget to turn it back on.”

“When he was dry, he believed it was alcohol he needed, but when he had a few drinks in him, he knew it was something else, possibly a woman; and when he had it all -- cash, booze, and a wife -- he couldn't be distracted from the great emptiness that was always falling through him and never hit the ground.”

“He should have left long ago. He actually did once – or nearly did, but Zelda pulled him back. Not that he needed any persuasion with her warm, welcoming body the ultimate Nirvana and his libido operating within the very narrow range of sex, sex, and more sex.”

“Tech simulations,” I said, the realization hitting me in the gut. “Jake, you’re so dead! You tricked me with that purple pill!”“But now you know you can’t control the elements,” he said.Like that made me feel better. “I hope you have a will!”“Blame Jag,” he responded.“Oh, I do,” I snapped. “Trust me, he’s going to die too.” I imagined the way he’d smile when he saw me. He wouldn’t even see my fist coming.”

“She could no longer see herself without him somewhere in her life, & there was no one she could even imagine being her 1st besides him.”