How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
A strange emotion boiled within me, born of conflicting urges. Was it frustration? I couldn't quite figure it out. I could do anything I wanted. I certainly had a choice whether to take Jason along. No one was forcing me. (17.30)
Kiriel tells us that he's frustrated but doesn't really know how to pin it down; he's never felt like this before, and it bugs him. We get the sense that he's annoyed in life no matter where he goes—in hell or on earth—he's just not a happy camper.
Quote #8
But none of the words I knew seemed like they would satisfy. Most American curse words seem to be related to perfectly natural bodily functions, and I've never seen why they strike people as being wicked. They didn't strike me as being particularly fulfilling anyway. The only word commonly used that indeed felt like a curse was one that started with a d and ended with mn, and I had no desire to use that. No human would let it cross his lips if he knew what it meant in truly practical terms. (17.33)
Curse words aren't sufficient enough for Kiriel. He's certain they aren't taken literally, otherwise people wouldn't go around saying them—for him, damnation is no joke. He's seen the negative effects of it each and every day.
Quote #9
I had already known that for some people, happiness depended on Shaun's being here on this earth. But now it struck me that Shaun had things to offer that I couldn't. (19.138)
It finally hits Kiriel: He might not care about body snatching, but other people would. People like Shaun's parents and friends would miss him if they knew he was gone, and Kiriel doesn't want to be part of making other people unhappy.