“Plus he was naturally lucky at cards. As Mam had always said, lucky at cards, or lucky at life. One or the other. Not both.”

“(A)ny time you buy weapons, or build an army, you begin to look for an excuse to use them. Plus, you pose more of a threat to others.”

“Both Averill and Bayar were like actors speaking lines for their audience and not to each other.”

“The human mind had a remarkable ability both to discount what it sees and make reality conform to expectation.”

“D'Orsay's voice was cold. "Sponsors, control your warriors."Hastings gave an almost imperceptable shrug. His warrior was upright only through the grace of his opponent. Wylie, on the other hand, was in Ellen's face immediately."What's the matter with you?" he hissed. "Finish him off, and let's be done with this." He made as if to grab her sword arm, as if he intended to settle the matter himself, but she threw him off hard. He landed in the grass. "You're a killer, Ellen!" he shouted. You've trained for this for a lifetime. Now do what comes naturally!"Ellen pointed her sword at Wylie and flame ran along the blade. "Be careful what you wish for," she said coldly.”

“Well, I believe she went in to rescue some Raggers from the pits,” Cuffs said. “She wasn’t all that specific.”“She went in to rescue — why would she do that?” Amon gripped the ironwork, studying the streetlord’s face. Was he lying? And if so, what was the purpose?“Guess she’s kind of taken with us,” Cuffs said. “You know, the glamor of the gang life and all. Getting beat up every other day, arrested for crimes you didn’t commit, long nights in gaol, sleeping in the cold and wet. It’s...seductive.” He raised an eyebrow.”

“The bluejacket girlie rode like a clan warrior, but there was no way she'd escape. It was a private life-and-death contest that had nothing to do with him.He told himself he should ride on, grateful that the chase would keep them occupied while he took a different path.But what had he told Rebecca when she'd asked what he meant to do when he returned to the Fells?'I'm tired of people in power picking on the weak. I'm going to help them.”