“[…] But you doona plan to deprive Bowen and me of a fight?" Garreth had answered, "So as to no' piss off a vampire queen and the most powerful witch ever to live? Oh, aye." "What are you planning?""Steal the arrow from Lousha, sneak off, shoot the god. Then I'll come back with a present and an apology, promising she can shoot the next god.”

“I need you to scry for Lousha," he said. "You told me once that you could.""Yeah, I can get you in her vicinity."Garreth had taken Lucia's scent into him and could find her from miles away."That'll work." Witches could come in handy, he supposed."But I don't do gratis."Garreth bluidy hated witches! "Charge me what you will! Just give me the fucking coordinates."In the background, he heard Bowen say, "Mari, never let it be said that I doona support your extortion--""Entrepreneurial-ness," she corrected."But a family discount, love, would no' be amiss.""The whole family? Fine," she said. "I'm scrying." While Garreth waited, she groused about how extended the "MacRieve pack" was.”

“You doona want to kill me, which is a good sign. Maybe this is your way of flirting?” (Garreth)”

“Inside the half-basement, they found Wroth alongside Garreth, grappling to hold up the ceiling. The vampire's voice was incongruously calm when he asked, "What kind of idiot would find this a worthy plan?”

“Witch, he's not coming back," the demon Rydstrom told Mari. "Don't waste your time waiting for him."Cade asked Mari, "What did you do to the Lykae anyway?"She absently murmured, "I've killed him."Mari glanced away from the entrance when met with silence. "He won't regenerate from injuries," she explained. "Unless he returns to me to have it reversed, the hex will eventually destroy him."Tierney, who looked to be Tera's younger brother, said, "You made him mortal?"They all seemed shocked at her viciousness, except for Cade, who as far as she could tell from his demonic countenance, appeared admiring. "Remind me not to piss you off, witch," he said.”

“Why don't you just buy me a minivan, zip me into mom jeans, and shoot me in the face" - Melanthe the potential Queen of Persuasions:”

“Age before beauty, Mr. MacRieve. If you think you can fit.""Only humans call me Mr. MacRieve.""I'm not a human. So would you like me to call you Bowen, or Bowe for short?""Bowe is what my friends call me, so you doona.""No problem. I have a slew of other more fitting names for you. Most of them end in er.""You in the tunnel first.""Don't you think it'd be unbecoming for me to be on my hands and knees in front of you? Besides, you don't need my lantern to see in the dark, and if you go first, you'll be sure to lose me and get to the prize first.""I doona like anything, or anyone, at my back. And you'll have your little red cloak on, so I will no' be able to see anything about you that might be... unbecoming.""Twisting my words? I'll have you know that I am criminally cute - ""Then why hide behind a cloak?""I'm not hiding. And I like to wear it. Fine. Beauty before age.”