History Literature / SkinGame

** Upon escaping [[spoiler:from Hades, Binder has his mooks hold guns on the surviving team members as Nicodemus claims they had betrayed him and the others. Harry explains the situation and Binder notes he ran out of bullets holding off the cops who had arrived while the team was in Hades.]]

** This is Harry's first job as part of the crew. If he cannot find a significant enough distraction without setting off any magical security devices, The Genoskwa will take the spot and Harry knows bodies will drop quickly.
** Nicodemus knows there is only one active Knight of the Cross and if he doesn't have another scheme dangerous enough to warrant his presence, Sanya will come along and mess things up with the heist. [[spoiler:So, he decides to have Tessa's crew mess with nuclear reactors in Iran. It works.]]

** Harry worries what will happen if he officially takes custody of Maggie, as he has a lot of enemies who may try to hurt her. Michael notes that the last time someone tried to hurt her, Harry destroyed the entire Red Court, one of the most powerful organizations in the supernatural world, so no one is going to be stupid enough to do that again. [[spoiler:However, after Nicodemus kills his own daughter, he is in a damaged enough mental state to think that this is a good idea. It doesn't work, though.]]

** Murphy makes it clear she is loyal to Harry and will trust him.
** Deidre is absolutely loyal to her father. She is so loyal [[spoiler:she will allow him to kill her so her soul can open the Gate of Blood]].

* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: As befits [[TheCaper a heist story]], we don't see Harry's true plan until he lays it out in a flashback. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as [[spoiler:Kringle warned Harry that Anduriel can listen in on anyone who casts a shadow, outside of a few secure locations or in the presence of another being who is strong enough to block him. Anything he said was at risk of making it back to Nicodemus, so he had to keep his plans in his mind until they were ready to be put into motion.]] Also the reason for the PoorCommunicationKills between him and Butters.

* ToughLove: Molly reveals that the Winter Sidhe have been showing their love and concern for Molly the best way they can: By attacking her in her dreams to help toughen her up and make sure she is ready for the tasks ahead of her.

* TellMeAboutMyFather: Molly has taken to telling Maggie stories about Harry but hasn't mentioned he is her father.

* SympathyForTheDevil: Michael feels sorry for "the Squires" (the men and women who serve Nicodemus), as they are raised from birth thinking that he is their Lord and Saviour, or else taken in when they have nothing left. They follow him and though some may question him, often they are pushed by the pressures around them into toeing the line. Then there is the removal of their tongues, rendering them incapable of even the slightest speech to communicate, unable to eat for pleasure's sake, and effectively isolating them completely, so all they have left is Nicodemus. For that matter, Uriel feels sympathy for them as well, with it being revealed that [[spoiler:the entire book was actually a massive gambit by Uriel to free the Squires from Nicodemus' control so they could have the option to start their lives anew elsewhere]].

* SpeakOfTheDevil: Because they are going to rob Hades' vault, Nick tells the crew to not speak the Lord of the Underworld's name, for fear that he might hear it and start observing them. In fact, such entities ''always'' know when they're being discussed. Harry surmises that this lowers the danger level; Hades probably doesn't take much notice of any individual who uses his name, as many do every day. But there's a chance that he ''just might'' take notice of them, so he goes along with not mentioning him by name.

** When [[spoiler:they find out that the door Anna is meant to unlock is not the one she had practiced for]], Anna is worried, but Harry gives her a pep talk reminding her how she robbed Harry, swiped his car, and stole the ShroudOfTurin from the Vatican. If she can do that she can [[spoiler:handle the surprise door of some Chicago gangster]].

* TheSpymaster: It is noted that Nicodemus is very good at gathering information. [[spoiler:Any shadow cast by a living being can be possessed by his Fallen and used to listen to everything being said. Sometimes he can even ''see'' through them. He can only be repelled when a being of sufficient power (such as Mab) is shielding the area, or at safe places like the Carpenters' or Demonreach.]] The shortcomings of this trope are also explored: [[spoiler:Nicodemus is excellent at being The Man Behind The Man or planning things out to have others act, but he is very much ''not'' a leader, and Anduriel is not the strongest of the Fallen in combat. He is manipulative and deceitful, but cannot win in a stand-up fight. Unfortunately, he knows it, and acts accordingly.]]

* RedHerring: Jim Butcher sets up a couple as to who might be [[spoiler:Lasciel's new host]]. Harry [[spoiler:has a sex dream where Murphy seduces him and then turns into Lasciel. Mister won't stay in the same room with Andi (though that one is explained if you've read the short story "Day Off"). And Anna Valmont wants to work TheCaper to give her a chance to double-cross Nicodemus, whom Lasciel also had a rivalry with.]]

** Michael, [[spoiler:acting as a proxy for an angel or Him, calls the thieves and villains out on their choices, saying they don't understand that true power comes from one's own choices and their false power cannot protect them from the consequences of their choices. There is a "Judge" and "Justice" and they "''will'' receive what [they] have earned."]]

** [[spoiler:For Nicodemus. Sure, he got the Holy Grail, but he lost pretty much '''everything''' in the process. His attack on Harry means that his word and good name are now precisely worthless. The most loyal Fallen among his followers, Ursiel, is irretrievably trapped in Hades' vault, along with his best WildCard "ace in the whole" Fallen in the form of Lasciel. A good deal of his henchmen might very well undergo a HeelFaceTurn. And he not only killed his own second-in-command and daughter — who was the only being he really loved, and thus ''really'' pissed off his wife in the process — but he condemned her to the mercy of Hades, who will deal with her... appropriately. ''And all exactly according to Mab and Marcone's plan.''...Except for the bit where he inadvertently helped to create a brand new Knight of the Cross, as well as temporarily Michael back into action, as he blundered into those two messes all by himself.]]

* PunchClockHero: Marcone is more than willing to have his men protect people from the Fomor or other supernatural threats, if they are paid up on their protection bills.

** Harry has this as well, but it isn't about how great he is, his pride is in his failing to make a better outcome happen. He has so much power, but in his words, he fails Michael because Michael is now crippled. He failed Susan because his actions led to her death. If he was all that great, why couldn't he save them?

** Harry turns down [[spoiler:Hannah's advances because, according to him, "You would not believe how many times I've had pretty girls who would have eaten me alive, literally, make a pass at me. Makes a guy a little tense about it." Naturally, he is proven completely correct when, near the end of the book, Hannah is revealed to be sharing her body with [[FallenAngel Lasciel]], who is ''[[WomanScorned not]]'' [[WomanScorned happy about the fact that Harry refused to take up her coin]].]]

** Nicodemus tells Deirdre that she is the only one he has complete and absolute trust in. [[spoiler:He needed someone who would allow themselves to be killed so that after, their shade would still be willing to open the Gate of Blood.]]

** For the entire heist team, when [[spoiler: they realise they are being magically eavesdropped on, and again when they see that The Gate Of Fire has a guardian]]

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Mab acknowledges Harry is capable of refusing her request and staying on Demonreach, but then he would face the consequences: he would die, and then the Parasite would emerge and hunt down his friends and family. Once he is off the island, she makes it clear she wouldn't permit him to go back there, so if he still refuses he would still die. So while Harry ''can'' choose to refuse, Mab (being Mab) makes sure the worst possible outcomes would result should Harry attempt such a choice.

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:A variant with ''Fidelacchius'': Murphy appears to have depowered it, thus letting Nicodemus destroy it, but Butters' faith rekindles its power.]]

* NightmareFuel: [[invoked]] InUniverse; Michael outright calls Demonreach the thing of his nightmares. He was on the island once, and after the trauma he suffered there, and the darkness he encountered, he is more terrified of the island itself than anything that happened there. He then tells Harry that Murphy and Thomas would feel the same thing (Harry, because of his link to it, doesn't) but they still come to see him out there.

** Goodman Grey turns out to be [[spoiler:a ''naagloshii'', or (to be more accurate) the scion of one. He explains to Harry that he is no more bound by his species' tendency towards sadistic torture than Harry is bound to his mother's acts as a warlock. And on top of that, after risking his life multiple times in Harry's employ, he bills Harry the [[SarcasmMode outrageous]] sum of ''one dollar''.]]
** Things go very badly for Harry when the inverse of this trope occurs with The Genoskwa. Unlike other Sasquatch, who Harry associates him with at a glance, he is not mild-mannered, nor in any way "an easy-going sort who abhors violence". He will rip you apart if it amuses him and then feast on your bones.

* MundaneSolution: Harry's first job when the heist officially starts is to make a distraction. [[spoiler:As Marcone is savvy enough to have a magic detecting system, Harry uses Roman candles.]]

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Harry's guilt over his past choices rings up once again causing him to think he is an irredeemable monster. Michael, however, tells him the true monsters are people who don't have this guilt, who don't torture themselves with guilt. The fact he does, even to a prideful level, means [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre he is a better man than he gives himself credit to be]].

** Uriel cannot act in mortal affairs when no free will has been affected [[spoiler:save for choosing to answer the prayer of Michael Carpenter directly. Michael wished to be able to walk into battle once more to save his friends and Uriel gave him that chance... by giving Michael his Grace, God's Power in Uriel, to heal Michael for a short time.]]

* JustInTime: Played with as Harry is reminded that the Knights of the Cross will be there if one is meant to be there. [[spoiler:Sanya is prevented from showing up, but when all hope seems lost, Waldo Butters finds faith in his limited skills and seeks to delay Nicodemus' assault, even knowing he will likely die. So he found the courage of his convictions in time to help save many people.]]

* JustFollowingOrders: When Harry learns the crew is going to rob Hades' vault, he is worried about the repercussions, as he is a signatory of the Accords, twice (both as a Wizard of the White Council and as a Knight of the Winter Court of Sidhe). Nicodemus counters that, in regards to Mab's potential violation, she is loaning Harry to Nicodemus like one loans a hammer; What Nicodemus does with the hammer is his fault, not the hammer's. Nicodemus will take the blame there. Nicodemus doesn't say he would take any blame if the White Council is angry at Harry making another violation of the Accords.

** The Cosmic kind. [[spoiler:In the books thus far, each time Nicodemus faced against the Sword of Faith, he lost. He lost in ''Literature/DeathMasks'' because of Shiro's HeroicSacrifice. His coveting the idea of destroying the blade in ''Literature/SmallFavor'' led to his defeat once more. In this book, even when he shatters the blade, the Sword still beats him. By his own actions, Nicodemus allows for the Sword to gain an even more powerful physical form.]] Simply put, [[spoiler:a simple faith in a power greater than the self overcomes dark pride each time]].

* HumanSacrifice: [[spoiler:The only way to pass the Blood Gate is by this — specifically, by sacrificing someone loyal and trusting enough to pull the lever, as only a ghost can do so. Nicodemus sacrificed Deirdre.]]

** And a bit of VillainBall: Harry considers anyone who is stupid enough to draw a weapon on Hades during the heist to be a complete and utter idiot who deserves any retribution the god chooses to dish out.

* HumansAreFlawed: While Butters is having trouble with the new Harry, Murphy's counter is this. Yes, Harry has some issues now, but by not trusting in him and shunning him in fear of what he might become, Butters' lack of faith will only serve to push him down that path. In other words, he has to have faith in Harry and help Harry have faith in himself.

* HeistEpisode: For ''The Dresden Files'' as a whole. Harry is strong-armed into teaming up with Nicodemus to rob the vault of Hades, god of the underworld. [[EverybodyHatesHades Yes, that Hades]]. What could he possibly want to steal from Hades so badly? Just THE {{HOLY GRAIL}}. Yes, [[Myth/KingArthur that]] [[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Holy Grail]]. However, as it turns out the real live Holy Grail is [[spoiler:only a small part of it. Nicodemus is also after the Placard of Christ, the Crown of Thorns, the ''real'' Shroud and the SpearOfDestiny.]]

** [[spoiler:For his part, Uriel doesn't hesitate to slit a squire's throat open when they break into the Carpenter's house. He is Heaven's Black Ops guy, after all.]]

* GoodSamaritan: [[spoiler:Archangel Uriel has no obligation to help Michael Carpenter when Michael ''chooses'' to walk out and face Nicodemus. Uriel cannot affect anything regarding free will, and either to give outside aide or to answer prayers of granting His help to Michael would be such an action. So Uriel chose to give of himself and loans Michael his Grace to enable Michael to face Nicodemus without his crippling disabilities.]]

* Myth/GreekMythology: Well, they're robbing one of Hades' vaults in the underworld. [[spoiler:And Harry's daughter grows in his head, until she bursts forth, fully-formed, like Athena. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war, and Harry's second daughter is a spirit of intellect, like Bob, and is all about knowledge and lived inside Harry through some of his worst fights, and so knows of them too.]]

* HealingFactor: Grey has such a good one that [[spoiler:he takes a gunshot to the ''heart'']] with only mild disorientation and says he will be fine shortly.

** When Harry and Karrin are in trouble, Uriel cannot intercede to save them. [[spoiler:He can, however, give Michael his Grace, helping him do something Michael had already chosen to do. This does mean that Michael spends the latter half of the book technically an archangel, but if he does anything untoward with it, Uriel will Fall.]]
** During the heist, [[spoiler:Hannah is about to be killed by a fire salamander. As she chose to walk into the fire, Michael has no special protection to give him the ability to save her.]] Nicodemus, however, is perfectly capable of helping, and does so.
** [[spoiler:Hades declines to give Harry any direct help after their talk because it is not the Lord of Death's place to affect the fate of the artifacts of the Crucifixion.]]

** There's several subtle clues to Ascher's motivation and true allegiance. At first she and Dresden are very terse to each other, but the moment the two get in private, she switches immediately to trying to seduce him ([[spoiler:similar to how Lash kept trying to goad Harry into joining the dark side]]). In that same conversation, she asks Harry about his burned hand, and when he says "[[Literature/BloodRites vampires with flamethrowers]]", inquires as to which court. Later on, Ascher refers to relationships as "You open yourself up and let someone in," which was previously a turn of phrasing that Harry used in relation [[spoiler:to Lasciel trying to corrupt him.]] And lastly, Ascher ''literally'' tells Harry that she's good at deception.