“The human body is an amazing organism. It can go from dead tired to completely alert in a terrified blink.”

“People around me die. They drop like flies. I've gone through life leaving a trail of dead bodies behind me. My mother is dead, my guardian is dead, my aunt is dead—because I killed her, and when my real father finds me, he'll move heaven and earth to make me dead.”

“They're fanatics. It's like expecting humanity from a falling rock. It's not going to have a fit of compassion and not crack your skull open.”

“He gave an impression of coiled power, a contained violence that if released, would explode with terrifying intensity.”

“The heavy eyelids snapped open. Jack froze. A huge gold-and-amber eye, as big as a dinner plater, stared at him. The dark pupil shrank, focusing.Jack stood very still. The colossal head turned, the scaled lip only three feet from Jack. The golden eyes gazed at him, wirling with fiery color.Jack breathed in tiny, shallow breaths. Dont blink. Don't blink... Two gusts of wind erutped from the wyvern's nostrils Jack jumped straight up, bounced off the ground into another jump, and scrambled up the nearest tree.In the clearing, Gaston bent over, guffawing like an idiot. 'It's not funny!”

“Your ability to remain alive never ceases to amaze me.”

“The rabbis paled. I’d managed to terrify holy men. Maybe I could beat up a nun for an encore.”