102
" Kami was too tired to even despair. And from the look of Jared, he was more tired still: bleeding all over the floor could not be good for him.
“You need to go to bed,” Kami decided, and hauled him away and out of Lillian’s room. “Come on. Everything will still be ruined in the morning.”
It was a brief walk down the narrow hall to Jared’s little room. They did not speak until they were at his door.
“Can you believe that we screwed up everything about twice as much in the space of a couple hours?” Kami asked.
“I can,” said Jared. “But only because I truly believe in us, the utter depths of our incompetence, and that it must inevitably lead us to our ultimate epic failure.”
“Aw, sugar flower,” Kami told him. “You always know just what to say.”
“And just how to poison my brother,” said Jared. "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
103
" She scrambled away from Jared and to her feet, not letting go of his wrist. He looked up at her, eyes uncomprehending and hurt, wide as a child’s.
“Come on,” Kami said. “Get up. You’re being rescued. I came here for you and I am not leaving without you. Get up.”
“I’ll try,” Jared told her.
He did try. It broke her heart to see how difficult it was for him, leaning his weight heavily against her and against the wall. She could feel him shaking from head to foot, and she did her best to hold him up though he was so much taller than she was.
“You’d better try,” she said fiercely into his shoulder. “This isn’t a choice. I insist on rescuing you!”
“Well,” Jared said. “If you insist. "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
105
" On that topic, how are things going with Jared?” Holly inquired.
“I want to interfere horribly in my friends’ love lives and keep my own embarrassing and pathetic one private, is that so much to ask?”
“Mmm,” said Holly, and gave Kami a grin that reminded Kami of when Holly had been the sunny confident school goddess she had barely known and envied a little. “Now that you know that I’m not at all interested in Jared, is it inappropriate to say that I did get the impression that he might channel all those simmering repressed emotions in a useful way. I mean being explosively good in bed.”
“Viking tiger in the sack, I have no doubt,” Kami said lightly, and felt a blush stage a hostile takeover of her neck and march up to claim the territory of her face "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
106
" I knew, said Ash. I knew my father would make Jared pay for defying him. We’re Lynburns. We do not forgive. We never permit a second sin against us.
She refused to surrender to despair, even in her own mind.
I’m getting a little tired of hearing all these mystical pronouncements about Lynburns, Kami said, and tried to show Ash nothing but determination. “We are creatures of red and gold,” “We do not forgive,” “We do not need hearts,” “Our family motto is ‘Hot blond death …’ ”
We don’t say that last one, said Ash, both bemused and amused. The emotions ran through Kami, sweet but alien, more strange than pleasant.
I admit I may have made that last one up, Kami said. But I stole the last piece of toast at breakfast yesterday, and you didn’t say “Lynburns never permit a second sin” and stab me in the hand with a fork. "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
107
" How are things going with young what’s-his-face?” Angela asked, in what for Angela was conciliatory fashion, which of course meant not very conciliatory at all. “You know the one. Blond. Scowly. Bad attitude, which I have some sympathy for. Sloppy dresser, which I have no sympathy for at all.”
“Also a terrible driver,” Kami said. “Wild about the eyes. Daddy issues so numerous the issues may be compiled into a book called Who’s the Daddy? Both Options Are Evil.” She sighed and touched another gravestone, which was for someone cursed with the name of Edgar Featherstonehaugh. “Well, I’m pressuring him into having a relationship with me, and I don’t know how into it he is, and there are even worse problems than that, but apart from that, it’s okay.”
“Anyone would be lucky to be emotionally blackmailed or physically forced into romance with you, friend,” said Angela. “What a jerk "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
108
" I’ll go,” said Jared, and quieter, to Kami, “If you’ll be all right?”
“Always am,” Kami told him. She looked searchingly at her mother’s face, then glanced up at Jared. “See you in a few, sunshine puppy,” she told him, and lifted up on the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss on his mouth. She only caught the side, a little clumsily, but felt the curl of his small smile against her lips.
“Sunshine puppy?” he asked. “You’re not even trying anymore.”
“I am trying very hard,” Kami informed him. “To be ridiculous. "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
111
" Here’s the situation,” said Jared. “Rob talked to me about his plans, and he said we had no idea what was coming.”
“Did he get any more specific than that?” Angela asked skeptically.
“He said,” Jared said, and hesitated, his voice changing. “He said, ‘So many people are going to die.’ ”
There was a pause.
“I don’t want to make jokes about people dying, since people actually are,” said Rusty. “But doesn’t it sound like a fairly standard evil overlord speech? ‘Mwhahaha! You have no idea what you’re dealing with, Mr. Bond! You have gravely underestimated me. You have no idea of the depth of my iniquity! Tremble, for you and all the puny forces of good will be utterly vanquished.’ Et cetera, et cetera, megalomaniacal cackle optional. Does Rob have a cat to stroke?”
“He’s not great with animals,” said Jared, mouth curling up at one side. “I take your point "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
113
" About the last thing I said yesterday,” Jared said. “I’m sorry, and I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just surprised. I didn’t realize you thought about it that way.”
“Okay, thanks for that,” said Kami, and began to walk determinedly down the passage away from him.
“Kami,” Jared said behind her. “I’m—I’m honored that you did.”
Which was not, Kami noted, “Let’s be together, then.” It was one of those nonsense things that people said, like “It’s not you, it’s me” and “You’re too good for me.” It meant, “I would like to very politely and very swiftly escape this relationship, like a Victorian gentleman in a rocket. "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
115
" In the meantime, Lillian was looking speculatively at the mural. Kami saw her lift her hand. With sorcery, the mural could be done in ten minutes.
“I see you, Linnaea,” Jon called over his shoulder. “Don’t even think it. I have eyes in the back of my head, and all my eyes have artistic vision.”
“ ‘Linnaea’ is not a name,” grumbled Lillian, but she lowered her hand.
“It is a name,” said Jon. “I looked it up. "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
119
" Good luck with your horrifying blood-and-knives spell, pumpkin blossom,” Kami said, unlooping his arm from around her waist and standing up so he could. She dropped a kiss on the side of his mouth as she did so.
Jared paused and then said, “Thanks.”
That was almost encouragement, Kami thought. She didn’t even know where the dumb terms of endearment had come from, except from her inherent terror of being serious about anything, but they appeared to have the effect of a stun gun on Jared. They worked when nothing else had worked, and she had to use what she had "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)
120
" Hi, Jared,” she said, leaning out of the window. “Are you brooding?”
He was leaning back on the roof, looking up at the sky, at the gray clouds spiraling as if to make steps to climb up to the silver hook that was the moon. His hands were linked behind his head, his body one long lean line.
“No, I was about to strip off all my clothes, stand on the edge of the roof, and shout, ‘I’m a golden god,’ ” Jared said. “That’s the cool thing to do at parties; I saw it in a movie. Except I’m afraid that in this town, considering I’m a Lynburn and the worst family trait we have besides the constant murdering is our crushing arrogance, people would take it seriously.” He paused. “Just kidding, I was brooding. Brooding’s my favorite.”
“I know the ambiance isn’t as good as a starry night overlooking your shadowed town, but might you consider coming down and brooding on a bar stool? "
― Sarah Rees Brennan , Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)