“Jason decided not to add that the best way to get him to focus on something was to tell him not to think about it.”

“Everyone should get to clobber a princess at least once," Jason said.”

“How do you kill something that's already dead?Nobody knows enough about them. Ask Jason. He'll have an opinion.Wait a moment. Rachel could see Corinne talking to Jason, but they were too far ahead to hear. He says you chop them up into little pieces.But what if that infects you with the disease?Jason leaned closer to answer Corinne quietly. She laughed. You let Nollin do it.”

“Jason glanced at the creature. It remained the same distance away as before, still as a statue."What do you want?" Jason asked.No answer."Are you the thing that followed Tark? You should keep following him. He's the real mastermind. Shoo. Go hide."No response."Okay, how about you stand guard while I sleep. Keep the giants away. Sound good? All in favor, hold perfectly still. Fine, I guess we have a deal.”

“He recalled Galloran stating that being a hero meant doing what was right regardless of the consequences. The thought sent a thrill through him. Galloran had been in this same situation and had made the right choice. Jason felt less alone. Malodor had claimed that his opponents had no heroes among them. But Galloran was proof to the contrary. And Jason would be evidence as well. p. 420”

“Rolling flat onto his back, Drake shuddered. Then he inhaled deeply. He stared up at the night sky. "We're going to win," he said, his voice calmer, less strained. "This is nothing. Keep going. They can't stop us. Jason, give Rachel the necklace. Tell her . . . tell her I'm sorry. Tell her . . . I wanted . . . to show her . . . my little valley. Tell her I tried."His voice was growing weak. Farfalee smoothed a hand over his brow. "Shhh," she whispered. "Be still, Drake. You can rest now. You did it. Rest. We'll take it from here.""Failie," he whispered, his hand twitching toward the back of his neck with little jerks. "Where's my seed?" His head tipped sideways. The breath went out of him.”

“I blush to think of her beholding my work," Verl confessed.So do we," Newel assured him.”