“She'd been a silly girl who'd dreamed of love, and a stupid girl who'd declared love a fraud; but she'd never imagined that when she found it,it would be richer, more powerful than dreams, and the impossibility of keeping it more painful than the worst betrayal.”

“He focused on the inspector, instead, though she didn't want him watching her. But Rhys liked the way she looked, particularly when her expression suggested that she'd prefer to have a gun aimed at his head rather than sit across from him in a private railcar.”

“Do you know why you‟ve found me half-naked? Do you know what this is?"I don‟t know, sir. What is this?” “This is karma. This is every negative thing I‟ve done, coming back to take a big bite of my ass.” The tightness in her throat eased. She strove to match the light tone his response invited. “That is unfortunate. Particularly as, in my professional opinion, the consequences of your actions are worse than you imagine.” “Why do you say that, Winters?” “Because you are much more than half-naked, sir. And although I have many talents, protecting you from mystical kar mic forces is not one of them.” He tilted his head, as if weighing that. “So chances are, I‟ll lose my shorts before we‟re done.”

“Even worse than not being noticed, he decided, was being noticed and found wanting.”

“He cupped her face in his hands, made her meet his gaze. Solemnly, he said, “I heard you say that when two people love each other, they fight through everything together. Every doubt, every challenge, every pain. Fight with me, Mina. Please. You are the only one for me, for as long as I live. And if you love me, fight with me.”

“When you're surrounded by stupidity, self-preservation isn't a sin.”

“Aghast, Yasmeen gaped at her before looking to the duke. "It's worse than I thought. Not just the Horde, not just the police- you're keeping company with someone who has principles.”