Any weapon touched by a woman, even by accident, must be cleansed with both water and prayer so that her essence would not linger, diverting the warrior who might use it next, for even the faintest touch could bring lust to that man's heart. Perhaps that meant a woman who was well trained in arms would be the superior warrior, her attention never wavering from her task.

If we had paid attention, we would have understood there are some things in this world you cannot outrun.

And then I understood that she had no idea what she'd done to my family. She thought love and hatred were equal.

You can be betrayed in your sleep. The whole world can tilt while you're dreaming of butterflies.

We had to survive to remember. Otherwise everything we were would disappear. Those people we loved would fade as though we'd never loved them, as if they'd never walked and talked and burned, forgetting them was the real evil. That was the hole of darkness.

Jill and I have known each other our whole lives. One house separates our houses but we act as if it doesn't exist. We met before we were born and we'll probably still know each other after we die. At least, that's the way we're planning it.

Sally...can no longer think of love as a reality, or even as a possibility, however remote.