Why is she convinced Ambrose is out to get her" Leif asked "Ambrose?" Yelena raised a slender eyebrow. She carried a tray of tea and fruit. "You're on a first name basis with the Commander now?" "I usually call him Amby, but not in mixed company.

We are searching for the same thing,” Stripey said. “How do you know?” Janco asked. “I read his mind.” The Sitian pointed to Ari. “Yours was too…chaotic. Too many useless thoughts to wade through.” A compliment or an insult? Janco guessed compliment and preened.

An execution order hasn’t kept us apart before. There are ways to get around it. We will be together.” “Is that an order?” “No, a promise.

As her newest apprentice, it had been my job to go to the market every morning. I had gotten all the jobs no one else wanted, but I had treated each task as if it had been essential to do well -- a trick I had learned from my father.

There are certain people I trust no matter what. Even when it seems like they've turned into monsters, you need to stay true to them. Because, in the end, they'll be the ones backing you up.

Reviewing our fight, I asked Janco, “Why do you rhyme when you fight?

There, that's better. Now you look like the wild scrub that fell into my life." "Because you loosened the vent's screws." "Best. Decision. Ever.