“I shan't take advantage,' Lucius promised seriously. 'And she can't be forced into a marriage, of course. It is a new century. Unfortunately. But I am afraid that I am compelled to pursue this courtship until Antanasia realizes her place at my side. As she will.' 'I will not.”

“As she gets sicker, she fades a little more, until I am afraid one day I will wake up and not be able to see her at all.”

“I realize that if I wait until I am no longer afraid to act, write, speak, be, I'll be sending messages on a Ouija board, cryptic complaints from the other side”

“Maybe I was unhappy for a lot of my marriage but didnt' realize it...She who is busy has no time to realize unhappiness. Now I have to wonder: why was I so busy in the first place? To fill a void I suspected was there but was afraid to acknowledge?”

“I am Beloved and she is mine. I see her take flowers away from leaves she puts them in a round basket the leaves are not for her she fills the basket she opens the grass I would help her but the clouds are in the way how can I say things that are pictures I am not separate from her there is no place where I stop her face is my own and I want to be there in the place where her face is and to be looking at it too a hot thing.”

“Conall,” “Aye, Alexia?” He looked up at her. Was that fear in his caramel eyes? “I am going to take advantage of you,” she said”