“That would be like making a pact with Lucifer. (Zarek)Yes, but I don’t smell like sulfur. And I happen to dress better. Luc always looks like a pimp. (Dionysus)”

“Zarek? (Astrid)What?! (Zarek)Don’t use that tone with me. I like to know where people are in my house. Be nice, or I’ll make you wear a cowbell. (Astrid)”

“Would like to join me? (Astrid)I think I’d look strange in a bikini. (Zarek)Was that a joke? Can it be you made a real joke? (Astrid)Yeah, I must be possessed or something. (Zarek)”

“Hades has a nice corner of Tartarus waiting for you. (Dionysus)Like that scares me. What’s he going to do? Tear the flesh off my body? Break my bones? Better yet, why not hold me down and stomp on me until I bleed or make me shovel shit? Oh wait, been there, done that, and got the videotape. (Zarek)”

“Nick was dressed in jeans, a dark green sweater, and bomber jacket–the perfect image of a rich college student. Talon looked like a biker who had just left Sanctuary, New Orleans’s premier biker bar. Acheron looked like a refugee from the Dungeon–the local underground goth hangout. Valerius was the professional contingent, and Zarek…Zarek just looked like he was ready to kill something.’ (Talon)”

“Why did Acheron tell you not to talk to Zarek? (Astrid)I don’t know. That redheaded bitch-goddess got all angry when he told me to come protect you. It went like this. (She flashed to Acheron’s form.) Protect Zarek and Astrid. Now. (She flashed to Artemis’s form.) No! You can’t let her go, she’ll tell Zarek everything. (Simi, looking like Artemis, put her hand against her cheek and whispered loudly to Astrid.) This the part where the redheaded goddess went on and on about what happened in Zarek’s village and akri got all upset at her. Don’t know why he won’t let me kill her and get it over with, but finally he say…(She flashed to Acheron’s form.) Simi, don’t speak to Zarek but make sure Thanatos doesn’t kill either one of them. (She flashed into her own form.) So I said okay and here I am not talking to Zarek. (Simi)Wow. She’s a camcorder, too. How convenient. (Zarek)”

“You don’t like Talon, do you? (Sunshine)Wish him dead every time I see him. (Zarek)I can’t tell if you mean that or not. (Sunshine)I mean it. (Zarek)Why? (Sunshine)He’s an asshole and I’ve had enough assholes in my life. (Zarek)”