“Tera, I need a favor. I need you to translate something." "Indeed. And why should I help you?" Lucia said, "To stop an apocalypse." Then she explained where she and MacRieve were and the highlights of the threat. Once she'd finished, Tera sighed. "Can you take a picture of the symbols and e-mail them?" "What's your e-mail addy?" Lucia asked. "Hmm. Thegreatestarcherever at gmail dot com.""Surely the greatest archer ever had already taken that one?" Tera said tightly, "Terafey at thenoblefey dot com." "Pics are on their way.”

“Susan hardly had begun to slow down when Tera appeared from between a couple of buildings and loped over to the car. I leaned forward, opened the door, and she got into the backseat. I threw her the extra clothes I had picked up, and she began to dress without comment.It worked," I said. "We did it."Of course it worked," Tera said. "Men are foolish. They will stare at anything female and naked.”

“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.”

“Good morning," Owen said pleasantly, glad that he wasn't at all out of breath. "Should I e-mail you my schedule for the week so that you don't miss an opportunity to accidentally bump into me, or can we end this game right now?""I don't want to end it," Sterling said just as pleasantly. "We're just starting. So yeah, feel free to e-mail your schedule. Or not. I'm stubborn I'll figure this out either way.”

“Then she probably would have waved back," Max said. "And it might be a he.""Ha! Not likely," Lucia said. "Didn't you notice them?""Them what?" Max asked."Her... you know. She has breasts, Max! What do you think that is on her chest?""I think it's a pair of crossed arms," Max said.”

“I don't suppose," I said, once we were in the car, "that she just gave you the job based on looks alone?" Adrian had been staring off but now flashed me a big smile. "Why, Sage, you sweet talker." "Thats not what I meant! What happened?" He shrugged. "I told the truth." "Adrian!" "I'm serious. She asked me what my greatest strength was. I said getting along with people." "Thats not bad," I admitted. "Then she asked what my greatest weakness was. And I said, 'Where should I start?'" "Adrian!" "Stop saying my name like that. I told her the truth. By the time I was on the fourth one, she told me I could go.”