“He remembered the gracefulness with which she moved in battle—like liquid flesh. There was no one quite like his wife, and he never felt more triumphant and free than when he was in her company.”

“He sells his loyalties to the highest bidder. Shouldn’t even a mercenary have morals? That’s the textbook definition of a whore!”

“How could he possibly bow deeply enough to honor a thousand-year-old samurai queen?”

“Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant. Usually, when it will have the greatest impact on our lives.”

“Diplomacy never works.”

“There is magic in all life.”

“Don’t you dare come into my world and tell me what color the ocean is! It’s black. Black as midnight. Black and awful!”