It was unsettling to be in love with someone who looked like the face in her nightmares.

When a man is on the verge of passing out from pain, it seemed wrong to notice how beautiful he was.

It is the way of mortals. They fling themselves at life and emerge broken.

I jerked my chin toward Frost’s body. ‘All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.’ Hao said, “Life is not safe. A man might spend his whole time on earth staying safe in a basement, and in the end, he still dies like everyone else.” Half-naked, covered with the same filth we all were, he still gave the impression of being in control of himself and his environment.

Usually the people I do know are sufficient to spawn any number of nightmares without inventing any.

I like what you've done to your face," Ben said, tapping his eye.

Coffee or orange juice?” “Water is fine.” His eyebrows went up. “Uh-oh,” Auriele said, but she was smiling. Darryl was not. “Are you implying that my coffee is not the best in four counties? Or my fresh-squeezed orange juice is less than perfect?