Death has his favorites, like anyone. Those who are beloved of Death will not die.

Philip Sharpe was a soldier in God's army," says the minister. "Now he marches with the angels.

More and more I feel like the boy who cut off his nose to spite his face.

As Val jumped down onto the litter-strewn concrete after them, she thought how insane it was to follow two people she didn't know into the bowels of the subway, but instead of being afraid, she felt glad. She would make all her own decisions now, even if they were ruinous ones. It was the same pleasurable feeling as tearing a piece of paper into tiny, tiny pieces.

Occasionally, there are battles in the sky. One likes to imagine the angels are always triumphant. One does not like to think of the ancient and terrible scales balancing the infernal and divine as wobbling back and forth. Tilting freely, to and fro. One does not like to think that sometimes it is the angel that falls.

Put your puppet on the throne." said Talathain. "You may make her Queen but she won’t be Queen for long.

Poisonous jealousy thrummed through my veins.