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By AnonymKiera Cass
I felt a warm hand touch my forehead. And then my cheek. I held my act steady though Akinli’s touch made me feel more than awake. “Where in the world did you come from, you beautiful, silent girl?” he whispered.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I felt much more productive when I was alone, and if I wasn’t productive, at least I wasn’t being chastised.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I finally made eye contact with the boy in the bed. He lay on his side, a tube in his nose and another in his vein. His cheeks were sunken, and his skin was ghostly pale. His hair might have been blond, but it was fading into a gray, making it hard to tell. The only part of this boy that held any life at all were his eyes, which brimmed with tears when he saw me. “Kahlen?” I sat still. These three people all called me by the same name, which sounded sort of like Katlyn and Ellen and made me believe that maybe they actually knew me. “Where did you go? Where have you been? I thought you were dead.” His chest worked overtime, trying to keep up with his mouth, spilling over with words. “Can you get her a pen? Please?” He lifted an arm weakly. It was all bone. “I just need to know.” “A pen?” I asked. Once again his eyes lit up. “You can talk?” I stared at this boy, at how he was overjoyed at one of the most basic things a person could do. “So it would seem.” I smiled. He flopped onto his back, laughing from his gut, and based on Julie’s tears, I was guessing she’d been waiting a long time for that to come back.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
If me dying meant you living, how could that be anything but good?
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I got the groceries and lugged them all the way to Akinli’s dorm, running slightly behind because I couldn’t get into the building on my own. The university required ID cards to get into the dorms after six, and since I wasn’t an actual student, I had to wait for someone else to come along and scan his so I could piggyback in. “You need some help?” the boy asked, his eyes lingering on my mouth. I shook my head no. “Aww, come on. That’s way too heavy for you.” He came closer, and again I cursed our natural appeal. I wasn’t in danger exactly, and I knew that, but it didn’t make these encounters any less uncomfortable. I shook my head again. “No, really, which floor are you on? I can—” “Hey, Kahlen!” I looked up to see Akinli walking down the hall. His button-up was open over the gray shirt beneath it, but I was thrilled to see that he’d at least put one on. “I was starting to worry. Hey, Sam.” “Hey.” The boy gave Akinli a look and headed toward the stairwell, his displeasure at Akinli’s arrival clear. In the meantime, I felt my mood lift significantly. I was now officially on my first date.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I held the water to my chest, and I loved.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I hit my chest with my fist, accusing my body of failing. I’ve had eighty years to adjust and never have. Am I broken? We’ll start there. No. You’re not broken. You are possibly the most loyal and faithful siren I’ve ever had. So, one of the best? Is it bad to tell You that I don’t really want to be good at this job? She swirled around my face and hair, trying to console me. No one with a beating heart could enjoy killing their own. I’m not human, I argued. I’m less than that. Kahlen, my sweet girl, you are still human. Your body may be unchanging, but your soul still bends and sways. I assure you, in the deepest part of yourself, you are still connected to humanity. I kept crying, my tears joining Her waves. Then why can’t I cope with any human contact? Elizabeth has had her lovers. As have many a siren before her. It’s not surprising, considering how beautiful you are. If it’s so typical, then why can’t I do that? She laughed, a motherly sound in my head, as if She knew me better than I knew myself. Because you and Elizabeth are very different people. She’s looking for passion and excitement. In her dark world, those interludes are like fireworks. You long for relationships, for love. It’s why you protect your sisters so fiercely, why you always return to Me even when I don’t call, and why you mourn so heavily at taking lives.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I know the consequences of what I’ve done. Kill me if You must. There was a long silence, and I could sense Her softening, that strange affection She shared with me above the others. Do you think I rejoice in death? I raised my head. What? There is no joy for Me in punishing you or in taking lives. I do what I must to survive. And not only would I not delight in your death, I would mourn it. You must know by now how dear you are to Me. I swallowed. Why me? Why do I have Your favor more so than the others? She was so tender with me, lifting me up from the sand as if She were cradling a baby. Considering her timelessness and my temporariness, I practically was a newborn in Her eyes. Throughout My many, many years and all the sirens I’ve carried in My hands, none of them has considered Me as you do. There’s been a detachment, a deliberate isolation between them and Me. But you? You come to Me with a sweetness, an attempt to understand. You come to Me even when you are not called. I feel for you what a mother feels for her daughter. To end your life would be to end Mine. I cried again. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt You.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I’m so happy to be back here. You’re nice and quiet. Her waters stirred in something close to laughter. We don’t have to talk at all if you don’t want to. I’m happy just to hold you. I sank down, resting on the sandy Ocean floor, legs crossed and arms behind my head. I watched the trails of boats crisscrossing and fading along the surface above me. Fish swam by in schools, not spooked by the girl on the ground. So, about six months? I asked, my stomach twisting. Yes, barring some natural disaster or man-made sinking. I can’t predict those things. I know. Don’t start worrying about that yet. I can tell you’re still hurting from the last time. She wrapped me in sympathy. I lifted my arms as if I was stroking Her, though of course my tiny body was unable to truly embrace Hers. I feel like I never have enough time to get over a singing before the next one comes. I have nightmares, and I’m a nervous wreck during the weeks leading up to it. My chest felt hollow with misery. I’m afraid I’ll always remember how it feels. You won’t. In all My years, I’ve never had a freed siren come back to Me demanding that I fix her memories. Do You hear from them at all? Not intentionally. I feel people when they’re in Me. It’s how I find new girls. It’s how I listen for anyone who might suspect the true nature of My needs. Sometimes a former siren will go for a swim or stick her legs off a dock. I can get a peek at their lives, and no one has remembered Me yet. I’ll remember You, I promised. I could feel Her embracing me. For all eternity, I’ll never forget you. I love you. And I love You. You can rest here tonight, if you like. I’ll make sure no one finds you. Can I just stay down here forever? I don’t want to worry about hurting people unintentionally. Or disappointing my sisters. Aisling has her cottage, so maybe I could build a little house down here out of driftwood. She ran a current down my back gently. Sleep. You’ll feel differently in the morning. Your sisters would be lost without you. Trust Me, they think it all the time. Really? Really. Thank You. Rest. You’re safe.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I instantly dragged my fingers across a shelf of book spines, in love with each one already. Books were a safe place, a world apart from my own. No matter what had happened that day, that year, there was always a story in which someone overcame their darkest hour. I wasn't alone.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I promised you that your voice would never be his undoing, that his death would never come at My hand. This wasn’t 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’s all I have left. Her thoughts swirled, aligning into action. You all will have to do the planning. I assume we’ll need to do the change near Maine. I will bring you there when you’re ready. “I’ll take care of everything,” Miaka vowed. “I’ll leave as little to chance as possible.” Go now. I need to prepare. “Will You be all right?” I asked. I must be. Go, dear girl. This is all I can give you. Now you can finally know how I love you.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I know. But sometimes it’s about what you want to do, not what you have to.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I let myself be sad. I let myself think of him.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I looked at him and the other two people whose names I’d just learned. “So . . . so this is home then?” Akinli looked at me, perplexed, then turned to Ben and Julie. “She said some girls left her here and told her it was home. That’s all she knows. She doesn’t even know you.” Julie wiped at her tears, trying to calm herself. He moved his eyes back to me as quickly as he could manage. “Kahlen? You remember me, right?” I stared into this face, searching for something familiar. I didn’t recognize the angle of his chin, the length of his fingers. I didn’t know the slope of his shoulder or the shape of his lips. “Akinli, right?” I asked. This poor boy. I pitied him in the depths of my heart. Clearly, he’d already been going through something, and I could see the last scrap of fight he had in him dying with those words. “Yes.” “I don’t remember ever seeing you before in my life. I’m sorry.” He pressed his lips together as if he was swallowing the urge to cry. “But,” I said, “I know your voice. I know it as if it were my own.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I looked at his face, unsure of how many more of his smiles I'd have.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I loved him. I couldn't pinpoint what made me so certain, but I knew it then, as surely as I knew my name or the color of the sky or any fact written in a book. Could he feel it, too? Maxon broke the kiss and looked at me. "You're so pretty when you are a mess." I laughed nervously. "Thank you. For that and for the rain and for not giving up." He ran his fingers along my cheek and nose and chin. "You're worth it. I don't think that you get that. You're worth it to me.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I love you beyond paint, beyond melodies, beyond words. And I hope you will always feel that, even when I'm not around to tell you so.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I'm happy, Ahren. I'm a princess. I have everything." "I think you're mistaking comfort for joy.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I'm not choosing him or you; I'm choosing me.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I’m not sure if fate or destiny is real. But I can tell you that sometimes the very thing you’ve been hoping for will walk through the door, determined to fend you off. And still, somehow, you will find that you are enough.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
In an instant, everything in the room came alive. Like the sunshine had a melody and the sounds of footsteps had a texture I could feel in my fingertips each time anyone moved
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I never thought to question the lack of truth until it had been placed in front of me. Why did the king just let us guess?
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I prefer being below the radar. That’s what I’m used to, you know?
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I sense that you won't let the world push you into a life you don't want. Maybe I'm wrong, so let me at least say this: fight, America. You might not want to fight for the things that most others fight for, like money or notoriety, but fight all the same. Whatever it is that you want, America, go after it with all that you have in you. If you can do that, if you can keep from letting fear make you settle for second best, then I can't ask for anything more from you as a parent. Live your life. Be as happy as you can be, let go of the things that don't matter, and fight.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I smiled to myself, thinking of America, measuring her against the other girls. She was pretty, if a bit rough on the edges. It was an uncommon type of beauty, and I could tell she wasn't aware of it.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I sniffed as a few tears escaped, lifting my hands to wipe them away. It was then that I caught the only clues I’d been given by whoever had left me here. On one wrist someone had written You are Kahlen. The other said He is Akinli. I flipped my hands over and searched up and down my arms, hoping there was more. “Look,” I begged, holding out my arms. “Pretty handwriting,” Ben commented. Julie hit him, but in a way that seemed playful. “Seriously?” “That’s all you have?” Akinli asked. “Apparently. So, all I know is who I am and who you are.” I looked into his eyes, the glowing blue, and sensed that was all that mattered.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I still couldn't see any rhyme or reason to fighting through countless obstacles for love only to have it leave you powerless in the end.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to marry Henri. I want to marry Eikko.” “Who?” “Erik. His translator. I’m in love with him, and I want to marry him. And even though he hates having his picture taken, I want to take a thousand so I can put him on my wall and wake up to us laughing every day, just like you do with Mom. And I want him to make me doughnuts, just like his mom does for his dad. Even if I have to let out all my dresses. And I want us to find our own thing or maybe find out that our own thing is everything, because I feel like if I have him, even the stupid stuff would matter.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It's a strange thing to discover how much you matter to people you didn't really know you mattered to.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It's true, I'd planned to wait
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It was dark, so I couldn't make out much of her face, but she had brilliant red hair, like honey and roses and the sun altogether.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It turns out I'm terrible at staying away from you. It's a very serious problem." I smiled. "Have you really tried?" He pretended to think about it. "Well, no. And don't expect me to start." -America and Maxon
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It was a delicious feeling, falling in love. I'd had so many luxuries in my life, and I thought I'd had a taste of this before, but I realized now it was merely a cheap imitation of something not meant to be imitated in the first place.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It was a delicious feeling, falling in love.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It was like being alone without being alone.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It was like staring at a piece of art or the stars in the sky. I just had to watch him. -Kahlen, The Siren
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By AnonymKiera Cass
It was true. He was everything I ever wanted. It was all the strings attached to him that frightened me.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I've heard a collective gasp. I ran over the sentence in my head. It took me a minute to catch my mistake; I'd called him Maxon.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I wanted everything from and everything for him, because I wanted every piece of him.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I want everything with you, America. I want the holidays and the birthdays, the busy season and lazy weekends. I want peanut butter fingertips on my desk. I want inside jokes and fights and everything. I want a life with you.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I want her to stay. It seems like everyone leaves when I need them to stay.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I want you to be mine alone and I want to give you everything.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I was so over crying.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I was stunned into silence, the way I always was when he touched the sky places of my heart.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
I will never forget your fire. I can't wait to see what you do.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
Love. Like clothes, I had guessed it was something that fit no two people exactly the same way. I was still unsure what the word looked like for me, but I sensed that sooner or rather than later, it would be fully defined. All that remained to be seen was if I could be satisfied with the definition.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
Luck was fine and well, but I didn't need it. I had a plan.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
Maxon: “To be clear, no one agrees with you.” America: “To be clear, I don’t care.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
Maybe it's not the first kisses that are meant to be special. Maybe it's the last ones.
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By AnonymKiera Cass
Maybe it´s not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it´s the last ones.
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