“There is no glory in death, Evan.'Evan's smile vanished. 'Then I'm going to make sure you make it back alive.”

“Evan still stared in disbelief. 'Seriously? She won again? Is there no justice?”

“That was Lucy's tactful way of saying 'In case you feel like murdering Kali tonight, we are making sure you don't break your ankle in the process.”

“Why did you throw your shield up yesterday when we sparred?'She smiled. He was genuinely curious. 'Well, you didn't even flinch when I elbowed you in the stomach the other day, and to be quite honest, it hurt my arm. So you can understand why having a boulder thrown at me would cause self-preservation to kick in.”

“Sometimes, rather most times, I believe, imperfections make us strongest if we are willing to embrace them for what they are, rather than try to hide them or deny they exist. So, perfection lies in imperfection and our willingness to accept those as part of who we are.”

“Darkness is the absence of light. Happiness is the absence of pain. Anger is the absence of joy. Jealousy is the absence of confidence. Love is the absence of doubt. Hate is the absence of peace. Fear is the absence of faith. Life is the absence of death.”

“With the last months spent preparing to face this darkness, it was improbable that the end of her story would be a happy one. She had considered death, maybe even accepted it, at times even wished for it. But no matter how many times she had thought it over, no matter the circumstances, it didn’t matter to her now.”