“Kingsley did the same, except he also removed his T-shirt, showing off his broad chest, tan and smooth. When had Kingsley had time to work on his tan? Mimi wondered.”

“Kingsley, ever the joker, had his Venator mark tattooed near his unmentionables”

“Kingsley smiled his Cheshire smile. And without a word, he called up the white darkness—the subvertio—a spell that unlocked what could not be unlocked, that destroyed what could not be destroyed. There was a rumbling, a shaking, like the strongest earthquake, and the iron gate crumbled, and the path began to melt. the demon shrieked, but Kingsley just looked at Mimi the entire time."Azrael...”

“Kingsley nodded. 'Of course. Sophia always did say wisdom had to be earned.”

“And Kingsley being Kingsley, he smiled as he pretended to pull the trigger.”

“When she reached the shallow end, Kingsley held out his hand and pulled her up, but she lost her step and fell into his arms, her body crushing momentarily against his.”

“Not that they were there to have fun—although with Kingsley Martin around, fun was never far from the agenda.”