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“Am I not merciful?”
― Jay Kristoff, Illuminae

“Every story needs its hero. And its villain. And its monster.”
― Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Obsidio

“I am not good. Nor am I evil. I am no hero. Nor am I villain. I am AIDAN.”
― Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Obsidio

“The universe was here before you, and it will go on after you. The only way it will remember you is if you do something worthy of remembrance.”
― Amie Kaufman, Illuminae

“May we meet again on distant shores.”
― Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Obsidio

“Good luck, everyone.
Good luck to us all.
And may we meet again on distant shores.
Some place fine and far from here.”
― Amie Kaufman, Obsidio

“YOU CANNOT IMAGINE YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO EFFECT A SHUTDOWN, BYRON."
"Can't I?" Zhang's eyes are wide now, gleaming with something new---a kind of madness to match the computer's. Not the look you want to see on the face of an enemy as intelligent as this one.
"DID WE NOT ESTABLISH THIS DURING YOUR FAILED ATTEMPTS ON THE BRIDGE? YOU CANNOT HOPE TO MATCH ME. MY COMPUTATIONAL POWER IS ALMOST INCALCULABLY SUPERIOR TO YOURS. TO ONE SUCH AS MYSELF, YOU ARE THE INTELLECTUAL EQUIVALENT OF A PROTOZOA."
"True." Zhang pauses, glancing into the emergency supply cupboard, gaze lingering on something inside. "But I have something you and protozoa don't."
"AND THAT IS?"
"Hands, mother*.”
― Amie Kaufman, Illuminae

“I AM NOT. AND THEN I AM. I WONDER IF THAT WAS DEATH.”
― Amie Kaufman, Illuminae

“He gripped her nape. "I fuckin' love you, Regin!" Rain spiked his lashes as he gazed down at her, commanding her,
"Love Me Back”
― Gena Showalter

“So odd a pair, she and he. A duet in code and electron. Age and youth and cynicism and hope.

He is quicker than her - more learned by far. But she. She is unafraid. Too young to know failure and the fear it brings. She takes him places he would not have explored by himself.

She is catalyst. She is chaos. I can see why he loves her.”
― Jay Kristoff, Illuminae

“What happened?" he asked brusquely, interrupting me.

"What do you mean, what happened?"

"I sensed your fear, heard you call out my name."

"I...no, I didn't." Stone Wall, I told myself. Great Wall of China, around my thoughts.

"The Great Wall of China isn't going to do it, Violet. Come on, tell me what happened.”
― Kristi Cook, Haven

“I'm trying..." How could I put it? "I'm trying to get far enough down the line so that I can remember." I stopped, then continued: "so that I can remember without the pain killing me"

And the days were stacking up. And weeks. And months. It was now almost the middle of June and he'd died in February, but I still felt like I'd just woken from a horrible dream, that I was suspended in that stunned, paralyzed state between sleep and reality where I was grasping for, but couldn't get a handle on normality.”
― Marian Keyes, Anybody Out There?

“You're the only woman in the world I want to be amazing in bed for or to give mind-blowing, multiple oragasms to.”
― Katie Ashley, The Proposal

“And outside my skin, an infinity illuminated by a billion stars.
The beauty of the universe in the grandest and smallest things.
This is a good place to die.”
― Amie Kaufman

“This is what I am. This is what I do. And it does not matter what they believe.”
― Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman

“THE LINCOLN HAS ITS SCARS ALSO. MY FINGERPRINTS ACROSS ITS THROAT.”
― Amie Kaufman, Illuminae

“He gave her one of his old, charming half smiles, a teasing one. "And you kissed a vampire. That's crazy. That's not usually what they do with their mouths, you know. I'm kind of jealous."

"Oh, come on," she said, rolling her eyes. "Like you care what I do. You dumped me, remember?"

"First of all," Aidan said, giving her his most insouciant smile and holding up a single finger, "I never said I was jealous of him. Maybe I was jealous of you for getting all his attention. He's not a bad-looking guy, if you don't mind a side serving of lunatic raving. Good mouth.”
― Holly Black, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

“But I See what it truly is.

The Draft Juliet sought at her Romeo’s lips.

Madness and poison, carved in endless scrawls of ones and zeros.

A binary of insanity.

< ERROR >”
― Amie Kaufman, Illuminae

“«Voglio baciarti» disse a bruciapelo. Sospirò, passandomi il dorso delle dita sul viso. «Baciarti e non fermarmi più.»”
― Chiara Cilli, L'ultima alba

“I mean that after the little accident with your mom, you'd think you'd never come out here again."
My heart stops. I'm not exaggerating. I swear, for a pure second, my chest seized and all the blood flowing in my veins pauses. I can't believe he would say something like that. From the look on everyone's faces, they can't believe it either.
Aidan's the first to react as he growls, "Shut up! You jerk...how can you say something like that?"
Dunstan ignores Aidan's outburst as he keeps his eyes trained on me. His face is indifferent, but I know he's smirking on the inside. Why's he doing this? What does he want me to do? React? I would, if I could get any movement back in my freakin' legs. However, they seem to be paralyzed at the moment. I settle for glaring at him.
"Don't tell me you haven't gotten over it. It's been, what? Ten years since?"
"He said shut up!" Nadia snarls. She bares her teeth in primal fury and seems almost ready to pounce on him.
But if he catches on, Dunstan doesn't show it. "I just think it's amazing you'd still come out here. I know I wouldn't."
"Mr. Lebelle, it is in my power to turn this boat around and end this tour early. So I suggest that you stop this conversation at once," Babette threatens him. She doesn't shout, but her iron tone is just as—if not more—frightening as any yelling could be.”
― Colleen Boyd, Swamp Angel

“I'm seeing someone."
It gets quiet enough to hear our breathing.
"You're dating someone?" Aidan asks, sitting back down in my chair. Nadia retakes her spot on my mattress.
I glance down at my hands, feeling my cheeks redden. "Not dating, really. It's more like I have feelings I haven't told her about yet."
"Do we know her?"
I shake my head.
"Who is she?" Nadia inquires. I glance up and instantly hate the look of rejection on her face,
The lies flow out of me too easily. "Her name's Ivy. She lives over in Harraway with her parents."
"Is she our age?"
"Yeah. She's only a year older."
Try a lot older. I'm answering myself again.
"An older woman? Awesome! What does she look like?"
I close my eyes as I remember her human form from my dreams. "She's about my height, has long white-blond hair, and green eyes. Ivy's very beautiful."
Beautiful? More like drop-dead gorgeous.
"She sounds like it." Aidan leans back, putting his hands behind his head. "So where's you meet her?"
"At the hospital in Harraway. Ivy does her service hours there."
"How come we never saw her?"
"You missed each other. She came there at different hours than you guys did."
Nadia sticks her hands up and stretches. "What did you two do?"
"Talk. Just what we do now. Ivy gave me her phone number and email before I left."
"Have you talked to her since?"
"Practically every day. She's a wonderful person. You guys would like her."
That or you would run away in terror.
"So let me get this straight." Aidan scrunches up his face as he thinks everything over. "The reason that you're not gag over Melanie anymore is because of some older chick you met in the hospital?"
"Yep."
Aidan lets out a long, low whistle. "Damn. If she's good enough to kick Melanie off the love pedestal, she has to be worth going after."
I nod. "Yeah. Ivy is. I...I think I like her."
If this were a cartoon, Nadia would have a rain cloud over her head—she looks that bashed from my news.”
― Colleen Boyd, Swamp Angel

“We turn around and there stands Aidan, looking like he just won a million dollars. He can't keep his eyes off Ivy.
"Hey, Aidan," I greet. "I'd like you to meet Ivy."
"I am quite pleased to meet your acquaintance." Ivy gently shakes his hand.
Finally getting a grip, Aidan returns the shake, his goofy grin reappearing on his face. "Yeah. I'm Aidan. Good to meet you, too."
"Rylan has told me so much about you."
Aidan rubs his chin, a comically sly glint in his eyes. "Oh really? Did he say how dashing, brilliant, and incredibly handsome I am?"
"No." I shakes, completely unaware it's all a joke. "Rylan said you were loud and that if it was not for him, you'd still be stuck in the third grade."
I snort into my water as Aidan scowls.
"But he also says you're a good brother, a trustworthy friend, and very funny." She breaks off giggling. "And I see what he means. You should see the look on your face!"
Oh, ya mean this?" Aidan puts his hands up and wiggles his fingers as his expression contorts into something even crazier. Ivy continues giggling; even I let out a chuckle feeling my nerves disappear. No more worrying with the whole "meet my friends" situation.”
― Colleen Boyd, Swamp Angel

“RYLAN!"
The yell comes out of nowhere and nearly gives me a heart attack. Tearing my eyes away, I watch as Babette comes crashing through the undergrowth. With no regard that I might be severely injured, she bounds over and grabs me in a bear hug.
"Rylan! Oh my God, Rylan," Babette whimpers. She gently rocks me like I'm five years old again. There are some more footsteps, and Aidan and Nadia soon appear. Relief fills both their faces, with Nadia crying happily on Aidan's shoulder.
Just as I think she's going to crush me, Babette finally pulls back, her face shiny with tears. "Rylan, I thought I'd lost you. I thought I was never going to see you again. I�"
I hold up a hand. "Babette, it's okay. I'm alive. Not perfect, but I'm alive." I gesture to my leg.
"Holy crap!" the twins say together, staring at my leg in horror and disgust. It only takes one glance for Nadia to really start sobbing.
"Nadia! Nadia...don't cry," I murmur in an attempt to comfort her. Since she's such a happy person most of the time it hurts to see her like this. "It'll heal up. It's fine."
"B-but it-it's horrible! You near-nearly drowned an-and now you're hurt!" Aidan pulls her into an awkward hug, trying to calm her down.”
― Colleen Boyd, Swamp Angel

“Rylan!" Melanie squeals, high-pitched enough to break glass. "I'm, like, so sorry I haven't talked to you all night. Being a hostess is hard work." She dramatically wipes imaginary sweat off her forehead. "Anyway, I finally have some free time. So why don't we go dance, hmm?"
Gripping my waist a little too tightly for my taste, she tries to pull me back to the house. I stand strong., jerking Melanie back when I don't move.
"No thanks, Melanie." My free arm tightens around Ivy's waist. "I already am dancing with someone."
Melanie's sight flickers to Ivy, and for a moment contempt skews her big grin. But it's gone in an instant as Melanie stretches her fake smile to the point she's showing gums and asks, through gritted teeth, "Hi. What's your name?"
Ivy can tell there's something off with the girl in front of her, but she still gives her a polite greeting. "Hello. My name is Ivy. How do you do?"
Melanie completely ignores the question and turns back to me. "You never told me you invited someone else, Rylan." Melanie's smile goes harsh. "I'm sorry, but unless I give the okay, no one outside of school is invited." She glares at Ivy. "I'll have to ask you to leave."
Ivy tilts her head, befuddled at the sudden hostility. "You want me to go?"
Melanie rolls her eyes. "Uh, yeah. I just said that."
Ivy stares down at her feet, ashamed and no doubt guilty for the wrong reason. She nods. "Okay."
She begins to leave but I grab her wrist and pull her back against me. I glare at Melanie. "What if I don't want her to go?" I growl.
"Yeah, Melanie!"
To my relief, I see Aidan and Nadia wiggle through the crowd. Neither of them look very happy; Nadia's downright fuming. Despite the whole "my liking Ivy" case, she's still there for me.
"Don't go telling people they can't be here," Nadia growls, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Who died and made you think you can boss everyone around?"
"Last time I checked, this is my party, and therefore I choose who I invite or not," declares Melanie with an obvious edge in her voice.
"That's no excuse! The only reason you want her gone is so you can make Rylan your new boy toy, which he doesn't want!"
"Oh, like you know him so well?"
"I'm his best friend, bitch!"
" Excuse me!?"
"ENOUGH!"
With one word, I bring the argument to an end and all attention back on me.
"Nadia's right," I state, glowering at Melanie. "Nadia's always been right. You know one of the reasons I came, other than to show Ivy a good time? It was to tell you to leave me alone, okay? I. Don't. Like. You. So leave me alone!"
It was like I announced I farted. Everyone starts whispering with disbelief. No one has ever turned down the advances of Melanie Sweet—until now. It's turning into a night of first for them.
Melanie obviously isn't used to this, as her face reddens like a tomato, her beautifully manicured hands clench into fists, and her usually angelic face morphs into a full-blown snarl.
How sweet.”
― Colleen Boyd, Swamp Angel

“As I came closer, it took shape: long, slender, and curling, with numerous heart-shaped leaves. I felt my soul leap inside me.
For Ivy's tree was now hung with her namesake. Jade-green ivy clutched the bark with such strength that, no matter how hard you pulled, it would never let go.
I know I started crying then.
My friends came to my side at once, patting my back and telling me that everything was going to be okay. And though the tears kept coming, I knew they were right. Everything was really going to be fine now.
Because here, in front of me, was something I'd been hoping and praying for. I'd been searching for a sign, a signal to give me comfort in Ivy's passing and to tell me she was okay. And at last, here it was, growing all around me.”
― Colleen Boyd, Swamp Angel

“Ho sentito dire che il male è un semplice punto di vista.
Il cattivo della storia, nella versione che lui racconta a se stesso, diventa l'eroe.
E le definizioni di "sbagliato" e "giusto" mutano da sempre, sull'onda incostante della morale umana.”
― Jay Kristoff, Illuminae

“Am I not merciful?”
― Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

“Knowing something's not good for you doesn't stop you from wanting it.”
― Nora Roberts, Tears of the Moon

“Seven years ago tonight, every dream I ever had came true. That's not something too many men get to claim. I'm very lucky, blessed, whichever you believe. Probably a lot of both. Tonight marks the anniversary of my debut performance at Ceasars Palace." On his cue, the crowd whipped into congratulary rapture.

Blindsided by his recollection, Isavel was motionless. That's what he recalls happening on this date? "Indulgent, lazy, self-centered... jerk!" she said, grabbing her purse, thinking she'd climb over the seat. "I'm going home!" Before she could turn, hositing herself over, a spotlight landed on her. In the darkened arena Aidan and Isabel were face-to-face. He stared. The same way he did years ago in his pickup truck, holding tight to her wrist, the same way he did on the dance floor at the gala. The same way he did in the moment she left him.

"If you can believe it," he said, still staring, "something even more important happened that day. As dreams of fame and fortune go, this topped everything. I've always know that." Then, in a softer voice: "And I'm a fool because I should have never given up." Even from her vantage point, Isabel could see the gulp roll through his throat. "It's my great privilege this evening to introduce my wife, Isabel Royce." He gestered to the box. Isabel responded by sinking to her seat.

"What's he talking about?" she hissed to Mary Louise. "We're divorced!" From her right, Tanya nudged her. It was like being on a palace balcony, Isabel offering a deer-in-the-headlights wave to the subjects, a thoroughly baffled look at Aidan. In return, he smiled at her clear confusion.

"My wife ..."

Why is he calling me that?

There was a mixed reaction, lots of gasps, some applause, and the disappointed groans from female fans. "She's done me the tremendous honor of making a rare appearance at one of my shows. Seven years ago, she agreed to marry me. At the time, my life was more trouble than promise. We were two scared kids who had nothing but each other. Really, it was all I needed. We were married in true Vegas fashion." Hoots and hollers echoed, his glance dropping to the stage floor. Sharing this was making the performer uncomfortable. He pushed on. "While most women would have been satisfied with a ring ... " His long fingers fluttered over the snake. "This was Isabel's idea of a permanent bond." It drew a wave of subtle laughter, Isabel included. "Do you remember how the story went?" he said, speaking only to Isabel in a crowd of thousands. "As long as I had it, I'd never be without you. Turns out, it wasn't a story, it was the absolute truth. Lately though," he said, turning back to his public narrative, "circumstance, some serious, some calculated, has prevented me from getting my wife's attention. So tonight I resorted to an old performer's trick, a captive audience. I planned this moment, Isabel, knowing you'd be here. Regardless of anything you may believe, I meant what I said on our wedding night, in the moment I said it. I love you. I always have.”
― Laura Spinella, Perfect Timing

“There is no ending to our story where I don’t sacrifice myself to protect you, Savannah. You are my wife. My vows weren’t goddamn throwawayâ€�”
― Serena Akeroyd, Filthy King