“In two worlds," said Alan quietly, "there is nothing I love half as much as you.”

“I want to burn the world because Alan is gone," he said. "I want to destroy everything I see. But you mean something to me. I will not destroy the world, because it has you in it.”

“I don't imagine Sin gets that alot," Mae commented."What?""Boys not liking her," said Mae. "She's kind of amazing. And beautiful."She spoke almost absently, forehead pressed against the glass as she tried hard not to sleep. There was morning mist obscuring the fields on either side of the road, so dense and white it looked like there were mutant sheep lurking on all sides.It was possible that she was overtired."You're just as beautiful as she is," said Alan. That was a flat-out lie, like so much of what Alan said. Like so much of what Alan said, it sounded true. "And you read," he added."Uh, hot," said Mae, feeling quite a bit more awake. "Well," said Alan, faint color in his cheeks, "I think so." She wasn't the only one in the car feeling tense. There was a slight defensive posture to his shoulders now, as if admitting any sort of honest emotion, even something as simple as liking girls who read, was bound to get him hurt... "I'd rather be amazing than beautiful." "I think you are.”

“I don't have deal breakers," Alan said. "I look on tempests, and am never shaken.”

“Nick could see the gun shaking in Alan's hand now, in tight, terrified spasms. "Last night we put a magician in the river," Alan said, his voice low and intense as if he was making a promise."Maybe we should send you to join him.""You know the rules," the woman whispered. "Don't shoot the messenger."Nick interrupted, leaning down to speak in her ear. "Do they say 'Don't cut the messenger in half with your great big sword'?”

“Oh, Alan Ryves," she said. "You're such a fantastic liar. You are the smoothest con man of them all.”

“Sin met Mae and Alan coming into the flat.Mae frowned. "Is it no-shirts festival day?""Every day with Nick is no-shirts festival day," Alan said absently, but he was frowning too.”