“Ella, just stay here. Stay safe.""Safe," Ella repeated. "Ella likes being safe. Safety in numbers. Safety deposit boxes. Ella will go with Tyson.""What?" Percy said. "Oh... fine, whatever. Just don't get hurt. And Mrs. O'Leary—""ROOOF.""How do you feel about pulling a chariot?”

“[Tyson] looked him over with that massive baby-brown eye. “You are not dead. I like it when you are not dead.” Ella fluttered to the ground and began preening her feathers. “Ella found a dog,” she announced. “A large dog. And a Cyclops.” Was she blushing?Before Percy could decide, his black mastiff pounced on him, knocking Percy to the ground and barking so loudly that even Arion backed up. “Hey, Mrs. O'Leary,” Percy said. “Yeah, I love you, too, girl. Good dog.” Hazel squeaked. “You have a hellhound named Mrs. O'Leary?”“Long story.”

“To be honest," I halfwhispered,"I don't feel as safe with him as Ido with you.""I know."A ghost of a smile touched my lips. "Howdo you know?""Think about what safety is, Ella.""Trust?""Yes, partly. But also an absence of risk."He unstuck a strand of hair from my dampcheek and tucked it back. "Maybe you needto take a risk. Maybe you need to be withsomeone who rattles you a little.”

“Ella: "Why can't I stay mad at you?"Clay: "Because I'm irresistible."Ella: "You probably use that line on the ladies. And it probably works."Clay: "It does."Ella: "God. You're unbelievable."Clay: "They all say that, too.”

“There is safety in numbers. And science. Clone your way to being safe. Nobody can protect you like you. And you and you and you.”

“Women do not enter a profession in significant numbers until it is physically safe. So until we care enough about men's safety to turn the death professions into safe professions, we in effect discriminate against women.”