““The water that flows throughthe canals is both beautifuland deadly. Its tranquil surfacebelies the toxins beneath--unpleasant to touch, deadly to imbibe.”-THE BOOK OF THE ETERNAL ROSE”

““The healer and the killerboth rely on the blade:the physician his scalpel,the assassin his dagger.”-THE BOOK OF THE ETERNAL ROSE”

““Madness weakens the mind anddisease weakens the body,but nothing destroys the spiritlike the loss of true love.”-THE BOOK OF THE ETERNAL ROSE”

“Both the teardrop and the tempest are made of water, making it the most yielding and most destructive force on Earth.”

“Certain living things prefer the dark, thriving in the shadows of tombstones and crypts, flowering admist the dead. Others tend toward the sun, blooming in the light, embracing the warmth.”

“How terrible it must be to be a member of the noble class. So many rules. Such restraint. You must feel like a caged bird, battering its wings against the sides of its golden prison.”

“You should be more careful, you know.""Careful?" she managed to croak. "You're the one who knocked me over.""I couldn't resist," he said, and he actually had the nerve to wink at her. "It's not often I get the chance to put my hands on such a beautiful woman.”