Secrets and Spellcraft (Art of the Adept, #2)

by Michael G. Manning

“Never accept blame for the evil actions of others,” he told himself. Janice might be right about the consequences, but it wasn’t her fault, or his. The blame belonged to those who chose to punish good people for nothing more than refusing to quietly accept being violated as their lot in life.

“Well, there’s very easy, easy, average, sort of hard, really hard, and please-kill-me-now-since-no-one-should-ever-be-forced-to-try-this-because-it’s-so-fucking-difficult.”

“Calling a demigod is easier than asking a girl to a dance. That’s what I’ve come to learn about myself. I’m an idiot.”

“What good are cats generally? They don’t come when you call, they don’t care if you hurt yourself, and they do what they want regardless of what you need. But sometimes, you find a dead snake in a place you might have stepped.

“You knew that would happen, didn’t you?” accused Will. “It was a fair bet, but this was a safe spell for accidents, and accidents are the best way to learn.”

People don’t like being told they’re fools. They simply reject anything that suggests it.

“You want too much. You want to win and be happy. You can’t have both. Trust me, I was married.”

Don’t fear pain, for it gives meaning to life. Do not fear love either, for while it will always lead to more pain, it also makes it bearable. Both are inescapable.”