欧宝娱乐

“They got under each of my shoulders and pulled me up, Padma walking in front of me and holding her arms out for good measure. I walked on my own, but I knew that if they hadn鈥檛 been there, I might have fallen more than once. Side by side, we marched into the Ocean, all of us crying for help.
What? I felt the swirling waves of Her worry as we floated just beneath the surface.
Something鈥檚 wrong with Kahlen, Miaka said.
In the water, they could let me go, and I floated there, the Ocean holding me like a child.
I鈥檓 so tired.
Look at her skin, Elizabeth said. She鈥檚 so pale. And she keeps sleeping. Like she needs it.
She has a fever, too, Miaka added. I was acutely aware that my temperature was off; I could feel the water around me warming from my touch....She fretted. This has never happened before. I don鈥檛 know what to do.
Maybe if she stays in You for a while, it would help, Elizabeth suggested.
What, Miaka? the Ocean asked suddenly.
Nothing. But she did look like she was hiding something.
What were you thinking?
Nothing, Miaka insisted. Flipping through ideas, it鈥檚 all nothing. I think Elizabeth is onto something. She swam up to me. We鈥檒l come and check on you every hour until you feel like coming back to bed.
I didn鈥檛 want to say how much it bothered me that she said 鈥渂ack to bed鈥� instead of 鈥渂ack to the house.鈥� It was like she knew I wasn鈥檛 going to be standing again.
Okay.
They fled, off to make arrangements for their broken sister.
I鈥檓 sorry. I don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening.
How long have you been feeling like this? She sounded uneasy, as if She suspected something She didn鈥檛 want to say.
I squinted, trying to remember. It鈥檚 been coming on so slowly, it鈥檚 hard to say.
She snuggled me into Herself. Just rest. I鈥檓 here.
And I was so tired, I did exactly that. It was so unreal, how loved I felt. Right there, balanced with Her rigidity, Her absolute need to maintain order, I heard Her thinking of what She might sacrifice so long as She could keep me. It was such an encompassing feeling, and that alone was enough to make me sleep.”
― Kiera Cass, The Siren

“I promised you that your voice would never be his undoing, that his death would never come at My hand. This wasn鈥檛 how I thought it would unfold, but the only way to show you how much I love you would be to keep this promise. It鈥檚 all I have left.
Her thoughts swirled, aligning into action.
You all will have to do the planning. I assume we鈥檒l need to do the change near Maine. I will bring you there when you鈥檙e ready.
鈥淚鈥檒l take care of everything,鈥� Miaka vowed. 鈥淚鈥檒l leave as little to chance as possible.鈥�
Go now. I need to prepare.
鈥淲ill You be all right?鈥� I asked.
I must be. Go, dear girl. This is all I can give you. Now you can finally know how I love you. ”
― Kiera Cass, The Siren

“When we were in New York, you cried for two days and passed out. You said a word in your sleep, over and over. Akinli.鈥� Elizabeth stared down at the drawing.
鈥淎t first I thought it was gibberish. And then I thought it was the name of a town or a building. . . . I didn鈥檛 figure out it belonged to a person until you made that.鈥� Elizabeth pointed down to the paper, worn from being folded and unfolded who knew how many times.
鈥淲hen Elizabeth came to me, I had to tell her the truth, and we decided to find him. You gave us the name of the town. We went there looking for someone answering to that name, fitting this image.鈥� Miaka smiled ruefully. 鈥淰ery small town. It wasn鈥檛 hard.鈥�
Tears pooled in my eyes. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e really seen him?鈥�
They both nodded. I thought about all those trips they had taken, making up ridiculous stories so they could get to him without me knowing.
鈥淗ow is he?鈥� I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. 鈥淚s he okay? Has he gone back to school? Is he still with Ben and Julie? Is he happy? Could you tell? Is he happy?鈥�
The questions tumbled out without me being able to hold them in. I was desperate to know. I felt a single word would put my soul at ease.
Elizabeth swallowed hard. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the thing, Kahlen. We鈥檙e afraid he鈥檚 dying.”
― Kiera Cass, The Siren

“With the little energy I had, I tried to swim to the surface. But without words, the Ocean was aware of my struggle and pushed me to air.
Miaka! Elizabeth! Padma!
I lay on top of the water, throwing up water and the small bits of food they鈥檇 been trying to get me to eat. No more of that.
I was close enough to the house that I could see them running. When they hit the Ocean, She solidified for them so they could run across Her back to me.
鈥淜ahlen?鈥� Padma cried.
鈥淪he鈥檚 breathing!鈥� Elizabeth鈥檚 words were echoing in my ears.
Carry her back. She cannot go in My waters. She can鈥檛 breathe.
Padma sucked in a breath. 鈥淥h, no.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 worse than I thought,鈥� Miaka whispered.
I鈥檇 have told her I could still hear her, but it took too much work to speak.
They lifted me effortlessly, carrying me across the edge of the Pacific, taking me into the house. I recognized the heat of the shower, the comfort of clean clothes, and the tender way Padma tucked me in, but I was so exhausted, so frightened, I couldn鈥檛 even say thank-you.”
― Kiera Cass, The Siren