Nico’s anger turned as cold and dark as his blade. He’d been morphed into a few plants himself, and he didn’t appreciate it. He hated people like Bryce Lawrence, who inflicted pain just for fun.

Nico studied his face – his sea-green eyes, his grin, his ruffled black hair. Somehow Percy Jackson seemed like a regular guy now, not a mythical figure. Not someone to idolize or crush on.

You will suffer, son of Hades!’ What else is new? Nico thought.

A wind that blows aimlessly is no good to anyone.

So, ’ Nico said, ‘since we’re going to be spending at least a year seeing each other at camp, I think I should clear the air.’ Percy’s smile wavered. ‘What do you mean?

We’re fine.’ A few feet away, Aurum snarled quietly, which meant Nico was lying.

He hated when his own advice applied to himself.

Nico found a sort of freedom in knowing that eventually, no matter what happened, he would end up at the foot of his father’s throne.

Then Thalia Grace became their leader and started recruiting even more young women to their cause, which grated on Nico – as if Bianca’s death could be forgotten. As if she could be replaced.

He'd gone from sixteen to seventy-five in a matter of seconds, but the old-man smell happened instantly, like boom. Congratulations! You stink!

Jason hated being an old man.

Our marriage ended because I couldn’t make him see me or hear me or do anything I wanted or needed. I could only be as selfish and mean as he was to get his attention. And that was ruinous.

I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than fatally disappointed.

Never go to bed angry, stay up and fight.

Patience is a virtue, and Americans have it in short supply.

Poetry is a mock of a cry at finding a million dollars and a mock of a laugh at losing it.

I just can't imagine that it's only a coincidence. I think they feel that it's kind of getting out of their control, and they're trying to tighten it back up.

The opposite of manliness isn't cowardice; it's technology.

Just play every hand, you can't miss them all.

The Dharma is a very, very special and precious thing. The more you practice it, the more you will realize this.

How delightful it is to see a friend after a length of absence! How delightful to chide him for that length of absence to which we owe such delight.