“He smiled at me . . . fondly. ʺAh, my daughter,ʺhe said. ʺEighteen, and already youʹve been accused of murder, aided felons, and acquired a death count higher than most guardianswill ever see.ʺ He paused. ʺI couldnʹt be prouder.ʺ”

“Ah, my daughter,ʺ he said. ʺEighteen, and already youʹve been accused of murder, aided felons, and acquired a death count higher than most guardians will ever see.ʺ He paused. ʺI couldnʹt be prouder.”

“Eighteen, and already you've been accused of murder, aided felons, and acquired a death count higher than most guardians will ever see. I couldn't be prouder.”

“ʺYour hair was beautiful too. All of you. You were amazingwhen we first met, and somehow, inexplicably, youʹve come even farther. Youʹve alwaysbeen pure, raw energy, and now you control it. Youʹre the most amazing woman Iʹve evermet, and Iʹm glad to have had that love for you in my life. I regret losing it.ʺ He grewpensive. ʺI would give anything—anything—in the world to go back and change history.To run into your arms after Lissa brought me back. To have a life with you. Itʹs too late,of course, but Iʹve accepted it.ʺ”

“He was hiding from his problemsin a bottle, something that went against every piece of my nature. Me? I couldnʹt let my problems win without a fight.”

“Ah, well,ʺ said Abe, idly studying his fingertips. ʺI have it on good authority thereʹs going to be a new ‘gateʹ opening up soon over on the south side of the wall."The truth dawned on me. ʺOh lord. Youʹre the one whoʹs been doling out C4.ʺʺYou make it sound so easy,ʺ he said with a frown. ʺThat stuffʹs hard to get a hold of.”

“I was crushing on my mentor. Crushing on my older mentor. I had to be out of my mind. He was seven years older than me. Old enough to be my…well, okay, nothing. But still older than me. Seven years was a lot. He's been learning to write when I was born. When I'd been learning to write and throw books at my teachers, he's probably been kissing girls. Probably lots of girls, considering how he looked.”