“Ainsley cleared his throat. "Allow me to apologize for my brother. He's not been himself since he returned home.""With all due respect, Your Grace, I suspect he's being exactly himself. He's just simply no longer the person you knew before he left.”

“He didn't know why the Shadows wanted the brother and sister, but if he allowed himself to dwell on it too long he knew in his gut that finding them meant their deaths.So he didn't allow himself to think about it.”

“He wanted to be loved for being just what he was. In this community of Yskalnari there was harmony, but no love.He no longer wanted to be the greatest, strongest or cleverest. He had left all that far behind. He longed to be loved just as he was, good or bad, handsome or ugly, clever or stupid, with all his faults - or possibly because of them.But what was he actually? He no longer knew. So much have been given to him in Fantastica, and now, among all these gifts and powers, he could no longer find himself.”

“Feels like I've known him since before he got to the world—longer than he knew himself, truthfully. Seems like we'd been friends really...Somewhere before life on earth...”

“Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.”

“Do not think I do not know that Cecily wants you to return home with her. And do not think I do not know that you remain for Jem's sake.""And yours," he said before he could stop himself.”