GEM

“Jason took me by the shoulders—not out of anger, or in a clinging way, but as a brother. “Promise me one thing. Whatever happens, when you get back to Olympus, when you’re a god again, remember. Remember what it’s like to be human.”
A few weeks ago, I would have scoffed. Why would I want to remember any of this?
At best, if I were lucky enough to reclaim my divine throne, I would recall this wretched experience like a scary B-movie that had finally ended. I would walk out of the cinema into the sunlight, thinking Phew! Glad that’s over.
Now, however, I had some inkling of what Jason meant. I had learned a lot about human frailty and human strength. I felt…different toward mortals, having been one of them. If nothing else, it would provide me with some excellent inspiration for new song lyrics!”
― Rick Riordan, The Burning Maze

“I'd tell you to say hello to Jason from me, but he'll be in Elysium. You . . . won't.”
― Rick Riordan, The Burning Maze

“The smallest seedlings, Demeter often told me, grow into century oaks.”
― Rick Riordan, The Burning Maze

“Good leaders know when to follow rules and when to break them.”
― Jennifer Donnelly, Deep Blue