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41 " Any human who takes a siren's heart will be immune to the power of their song. Only Elian didn't need to take my heart; I gave it to him. "
― Alexandra Christo , To Kill a Kingdom
42 " In the pits of our souls - if I amuse myself with the notion that I have a soul - Elian and I aren't so different. Two kingdoms that come with responsibilities we each have trouble bearing. Him, the shackles of being pinned to one land and one life. Me, trapped in the confines of my mother's murderous legacy. And the ocean, calling out to us both. A song of freedom and longing. "
43 " False confidence is nobody's friend. "
44 " He belongs to the ocean. He is made from it, as much as I am. "
45 " I could have killed her, but I didn’t, because she’s a wonder. "
46 " And in another life, if I ever had a choice about who to be, maybe I would have been like him. "
47 " I let it all fall away. My mission, my kingdom. The world. They exist somewhere other than in this moment, and now there is only this. Me, my ship, and a girl with oceans in her eyes. "
48 " To them, the sea is never the true danger. Even crawling with sirens and sharks and beasts that can devour them whole in seconds. The true danger is people. They are the unpredictable. The betrayers and the liars. "
49 " This isn’t a bargain, it’s a deal.” “I’m not in the business of striking deals with girls in cages.” I twist my lips into a cruel smile. “Then by all means, let me out.” Elian laughs, pulls a pistol out, and shakes his head once again. “You know,” he says, approaching the cell, “I think I might like you. Thing is” – he taps his gun against my prison – “there’s a difference between liking someone and trusting them.” “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done either. "
50 " I'm glad that you didn't kill me while I was unconscious."Kye snorts a smile. "I like the way you say thank you. "
51 " There is nothing in this world but pain and the rare moments that exist in between. "
52 " Look at you,” he whispers. “My monster, come to find me. "
53 " Sorry," I rub a hand over my throat. "I don't speak bitch. "
54 " Every action will betray. Every choice will slaughter. Despite what my mother says, I seem to be the exact kind of monster she wanted. "
55 " That's the thing about risks, it's impossible to know which ones are worth it until it's too late. "
56 " His hand moves from beside mine, and I feel a sudden absence. And then it's on my cheek, cupping my face, thumb stroking my lip. It feels like the worst thing I've ever done and the best thing I could ever do and how strange that the two are suddenly the same. "
57 " Love is a word we scarcely hear in the ocean. It exists only in my song and on the lips of the princes I’ve killed. And I have never heard it from my mother’s mouth. "
58 " You should pay less mind to fairy tales, Elian, or that’s all you’ll become.” When he leaves, I think about whether that would be awful, or beautiful. Could it really be such a bad thing, to become a story whispered to children in the dead of night? A song they sing to one another while they play. Another "
59 " Night quilts the sky with stars sewn like the uneven stitching of my jacket. "
60 " Wars aren't won by running. "