“Oh bloody hell. She'd just stolen the queen's ring.”

“One minute sweet and nice, like a lovable little kitten, the next she'd give you a pop in the jaw if you say the wrong thing.”

“Just like a kitten pretending to be a lion.”

“you're not just a pickpocket with fast hands." Rieker's eyes locked on hers. "I found a girl caring for other orphans like a mother. A girl who'd befriended an old bookshop keeper who had lost his only daughter. A girl who can read and is helping others learn to read." His voice softened. "And a girl so beautiful at times, you take my breath away.”

“Rieker threaded her hair behind her ears with his other hands, his fingers lingering against her cheek. "We're different Tiki," he said softly. "We're caught between two worlds and honestly, I don't know which one we belong in. But I do know this - I don't want to be either place without you." He looked deep into her eyes. "I believe we found each other because we're meant to be together.”

“Tiki was uncomfortably aware of how close Rieker was standing to her, yet at the same time she felt pulled toward him, as though in the grip of a magnet.”

“Tiki ran hard, ignoring the startled looks of strangers. It felt good to run, to run away from her sadness and fear.”