Brandon Mull, Keys to the Demon Prison

"The only furniture in the dank space was a flimsy cot. Water dripped steadily in one corner. A hole in the floor appeared to serve as a latrine. What most caught Kendra's eye were the messages scratched on the wall. She roamed the cell, reading the crudely inscribed phrases."Seth rules!Welcome to Seth's House. Seth rocks!Seth was here. Now it's your turn. Seth Sorenson forever. Enjoy the food!If you're reading this, you can read. All roads lead to Seth. Is it still dripping?Seth haunts these halls. You're in a Turkish prison!Seth is the man!Use the meal mats as toilet paper." And so forth. Cold, hopeless, and alone, Kendra found herself giggling at the messages her brother had scrawled. He must have been so bored!"

"Forgive my brother," Camira apologized. "We don't normally let him out of his cage when guests are present."

"Luck has a way of evaporating when you lean on it."

"Adamant," Doren said proudly, handing over the shield. "We fished it out of the tar pit where we found the shirt of mail."Probably all belonged to the same careless adventurer," Newel speculated. "Too much money, not enough talent."

"It was one thing to snuggle a little when the world seemed about to end, and quite another to explain to her parents that she wanted to date an ancient magical horse."