“I'm Penryn. I'm named after an exit off Interstate 80.""Nice." They nod as if to say they understand what it's like to have parents like that.”

“Don't let my appearance fool you, Penryn. I am not human. The Daughters of Men are forbidden to Angels.”

“You don't even like me, remember?" That's what I try to say. What actually comes out of my mouth is closer to a baby's first attempt at babbling. "Shh." He runs his fingertips along my cheek, caressing my face. "Hush. I'm right here." He looks at me with deep anguish in his eyes. Like there's so much he wants to tell me but feel it's too late now. I want to stroke his face and tell him that it will be okay. That everything will be all right. And I wish so badly that it would be.”

“I'm not moping," I whisper back. "Of course you're not. A girl like you, spending time with a warrior demigod like me. What's to mope about? Leaving a wheelchair behind couldn't possibly show up on the radar compared to that." "You've got to be kidding me.""I never kid about my warrior demigod status.”

“You're like a little girl demanding answers to questions during a covert operation. Why is the sky blue, daddy? Can I ask that man with the machine gun where the bathroom is? If you don't stay quiet, I'm going to have to dump you.”

“Does moping actually help humansfeel better?”"I'm not moping."“Of course you’re not. A girl like you,spending time with a warrior demigod like me. What’s to mope about? Leaving awheelchair behind couldn’t possibly show up on the radar compared to that.”

“...."Penryn, who are you talking to?" My mother sounds almost frantic now."Just my own personal demon, Mom.Don't worry.He's just a little weakling."........"Oh." She sounds calm suddenly, as if that explains everything....”