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The mistakes of the past do not excuse the mistakes of the present.

I leaned closer and whispered, “a librarian’s gotta do what a librarian’s gotta do.”

Power makes people believe they’re invulnerable.

Every religion I’ve studied has laws or commandments against killing.

Historically, humanity has shown tremendous creativity in finding every possible loophole, rationalization, and justification to ignore these commandments.

“What happened?”

“Nothing serious, as long as I’m careful.”

“You’re doomed,” she said.

We’ve drawn attention to ourselves with our obsessive need to stay inconspicuous.

It’s not my fault your makers made you humorless.

I am a pragmatist, said Mab. I do what must be done to make a better world.

“Oh, I’m sure you tell yourself that. But so does the woman who tortured Lilith. You sound exactly like her, in fact. The difference is that Berenice actually means it. She doesn’t use the pretense to justify her cruelty.”

It isn’t courtly politics if somebody doesn’t get a dagger in the back.

“It’s a debate,” he spat, “over truth. Which truth is more true? The inspiring myth or the bleak, blood-caked reality?”

But the speculation was pointless. The past was forever in the past.

He didn’t trust them. But he did trust their greed.