“That’s all she cared about—protecting her brother, who was probably some fop with a lame sword hand and a fear of pistols!”

“All that Syrio Forel had taught her went racing through her head. Swift as a deer. Quiet as shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords. The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords.”

“Niko caught my hand and slapped it lightly down on the bar. “Pistol whipping elderly women isn’t precisely our mission statement, Cal.” I hadn’t been going to pistol-whip her. Yell at her a little more, then pick her up and toss her out into the street. Some risk of a broken hip there, but that wasn’t pistol-whipping… unless she tried to come back in.”

“She sipped from her bottle. “Okay. Truth or dare.”“Dare.”Okay, she hadn’t expected that. She’d been prepared to ask some lame question that she probably already knew the answer to. Now she had to think of a dare.The driving pulse of music gave her an idea.“Dance with me,” she blurted.He lifted his eyebrows. “That’s your dare?”“Not challenging enough?”He shook his head. “Not nearly.”“You haven’t seen me dance.”

“There's a word like overprotective to describe some parents, but no word that means the opposite. What word do you use to describe parents who don't protect enough? Underprotective? Neglectful? Self-involved? Lame? All of the above.”

“Those who do not fear the sword they wield have no right to wield a sword at all.~Shuhei Hisagi”