I thought of love as a game. It is not a game. It is more serious than death.

Fine." Magnus stood up. "But," he added, pausing by Alec's chair and leaning in close to him, "you are not trivial." Alec flushed. "If you say so," he said. "I say so," said Magnus, and he turned to follow Isabelle out of the room.

Words have the power to change us.

You snuck up on me,” she said. “I guess I’m not much of a Shadowhunter, huh?” Simon shrugged. “Well, in your defense, I do move with a silent, pantherlike grace.

He understands now why kisses in movies are filmed the way they are, with the camera endlessly circling, circling: the ground is unsteady under his.

He'll come back," Simon said again. "For you.

I'm all right,' Jace protested, but his hand gripped Alec's sleeve tightly. 'I can stand.' It looks to me like you're using a wall to prop you up. That's not my definition of "standing."' It's leaning,' Jace told him. 'Leaning comes right before standing.