“Rob smiled his slow, infectious smile-and suddenly everything was all right.”

“Thea! I was looking for you."It was Eric's voice. Warm, eager-everything that Thea wasn't. She turned to see green eyes flecked with dancing gray and an astonishing smile. A smile that drew her in, changing the world.Maybe everything was going to be all right, after all.”

“Elena smiled and he had to smile back, at first just a quirk of the lip, and then a full smile. She was…Damn it, she was everything. Witty, enchanting, brave, smart…and beautiful. And he knew that his eyes were saying all that and that she wasn’t turning away.”

“Mary-Lynnette felt a violent wrench in her chest. For a moment everything seemed suspended-and changed.If Ash were dead-if Ash had been killed…Things would never be all right. She would never be all right. It would be like the night with the moon and stars gone. Nothing that anybody could do would make up for it. Mary-Lynnette didn't know why-it didn't make any sense-but she suddenly knew it was true.”

“Then Rob looked back at Kait, slowly, and she knew that he was seeing her as an equal for the first time. An equal not just in brains or psychic powers or resourcefulness, but in every way, with exactly as much right to risk her life as he had to risk his.Equal and separate. It was as if at that moment they split apart, became two independent creatures. If Rob had ever had a fault in their relationship, it was thinking he had to protect her. And Kaitlyn had encouraged it in a way, by thinking that she needed to be protected. Now, all at once, they were both realizing it wasn't true.And once Kait knew that, she realized that in the last few minutes she had grown in his eyes. Rob respected her more, even loved her more than ever before…in a different way.”

“Lewis: "Oh, no."Kaitlyn: "Lewis?"Lewis: "Hi, Kaitlyn. Hi. Rob."Rob: "G'way, Lewis. I'm sleeping."Kaitlyn: "Hi. Anna."Anna: "Hi, Kait."Lewis: "Hi, Anna."Gabriel: "And good night, John-Boy! Shut the hell up, all of you!”

“You love her, don't you?' [Rob] said to Gabriel.Gabriel finall seemed able to break their locked stare. He looked away, at the carpet. His face was bleak.Yes' he saidMore than anything,' Rob persisted. 'You'd crawl on your belly over broken glass for her. Easy.'Yes, damn you,' Gabriel said. 'Happy now?”