“Sanabalis never seemed to eat, and he deflected most of her questions about Dragon cuisine. Then again, he deflected most of her questions about Dragons, period. Which was annoying because he was one, and could in theory be authorative.”

“Point made. Question deflected. Spoiled bitch put in her pace.”

“He mouthed the words to her that she could not see, and that she could not hear. It was all he dared tonight, strangers in a castle, strangers to this land, their future a great black question mark and an ending he could not foresee. He bent his lips to her ear and said without breathe:Lia-heart. Little dragon. I love you too.”

“Over the years, she'd learned not to question him too closely—mostly because he wouldn't answer her.”

“Any man of reasonable intelligence can make money if that's what he wants. Mostly it's women or clothes or admiration he really wants and they deflect him.”

“The most important question a seminary student must answer about his professor is not, 'Is he orthodox?,' but 'Is he honest?”