1
" Things settled into a lazy pattern. School, chores, and long hours down by the river. Kiernan talked about the books he read sometimes, even loaned me a few. But I liked it better when he read to me or just told me the stories. The words were more real that way, more exciting. Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Ragged Dick, and all the others seemed flat and dull on the page, but Kiernan was good at making them come alive. "
― Rysa Walker , Simon Says: Tips for the Intrepid Time Traveler (The Chronos Files, #3.5)
6
" Take that and go play. I don’t care if it takes a year. Get the boy out of your system and then get back here. We’ve got work to do.”
At the time, I thought Saul meant I needed to take some time to grow up. Get the boy out of my system and come back a man.
But thinking back on that conversation a few years later, I’m pretty sure Saul believed there was something going on between me and Kier. I seriously doubt Saul ever had a relationship with anyone unless it would bring him sex or power. I’m not sure he understood anything else.
But it wasn’t ever like that with Kiernan, no matter what Saul thought.
I had all kinds of half-siblings, full-siblings, too, maybe, but I never thought of them as family. None of them ever stood up for me in the play yard, although I guess many of them were actually younger than me, so maybe that wasn't a fair expectation. None of them played “kick the cones” with me, none of them taught me about baseball. That’s the kind of thing brothers do.
There was a whole big world out there to explore, and it would be a lot more fun exploring it together. "
― Rysa Walker , Simon Says: Tips for the Intrepid Time Traveler (The Chronos Files, #3.5)
9
" Where's Kiernan?" I asked.
"He's with Brother Cyrus. Your turn."
The blood drained from my face and I stepped back, toward the wall. One of the older women, Glory, had died from a heart attack the year before. At the burial, all of the adults patted each other on the back and said she was with Brother Cyrus now.
The key suddenly felt like a lit coal in my hand, and I dropped it to the floor.
Patrick must have realized what I was thinking from my expression. "No, stupid," he said, as he bent down to pick up the key. "He's not dead. He's with Cyrus. In the future. He's fine. You'll be fine. "
― Rysa Walker , Simon Says: Tips for the Intrepid Time Traveler (The Chronos Files, #3.5)
