Marissa Meyer

Sometime your heart is the only thing worth listening to.

But you're the only one, Scarlet. You'll always be the only one.

I don't like to think of it as 'stolen'. They have no proof that I didn't plan on giving it back.""You're kidding, right?"He shrugged. "You have no proof either."She squinted back at him. "Were you planning on giving it back?""Maybe."An orange light blinked on in the corner of Cinder's vision-her cyborg programming picking up on the lie.

He leaned forward to inspect her closer. "Is that all hair?"... Sudden, overwhelming panic clawed up Cress's throat. With a squeak, she ducked out of view of the camera and scrambled beneath the desk. Her back struck the wall with a thud that rattled her teeth. She crouched there, skin burning hot and pulse thundering as she took in the room before her_ the room that he was now seeing too, with the rumpled bedcovers and the mustached man on all the screens telling her to grab her imaginary partner and swing them around."Wha__here'd she go?" Thorne's voice came to her through the screen."Honestly, Thorne." A girl. Linh Cinder? "Do you ever think before you speak?""What? What did I say?"" 'Is that all hair?' ""Did you see it? It was like a cross between a magpie nest and ball of yarn after it's been mauled by a cheetah."A beat. Then, "A cheetah?""It was the first big cat that came to mind.

Linh Cinder. Such a pleasure. My master has spoken so highly of you.__inder paused and studied her again. __ho are you?_____ called Darla. I am Captain Thorne__ mistress.__inder blinked. __xcuse me?___e asked me to stay and keep watch over the vehicle,_ she said. __e__ just gone inside to be heroic. I__ sure he__l be glad to know you__e here. I believe he__ under the impression that you__e out in space somewhere.

There was an edge to his expression, like he didn't trust anyone who was more attractive than he was.

My point is that I am going to figure this out, like I always do. First, we__e going to find a way to get into Artemisia. We__e going to find Cress and rescue Cinder and Wolf. We__e going to overthrow Levana, and by the stars above, we are going to make Cinder a queen so she can pay us a lot of money from her royal coffers and we can all retire very rich and very alive, got it?"Winter started to clap. "Brilliant speech. Such gumption and bravado.""And yet strangely lacking in any sort of actual strategy," said Scarlet."Oh, good, I'm glad you noticed that too," said Iko. "I was worried my processor might be glitching.

My life is an adventure." she said, growing confident as she opened her eyes again. "I will not be shackled to this satellite anymore.

Captain! To your left there__ a Lunar guard and on your right is a doctor who__ running tests on Lunars and I__ being held by one of Levana__ wolf hybrids and please be careful!__horne took a step back into the hallway a gun from his waistband. He spent a moment swiveling the barrel of the gun in each direction, but nobody moved to attack him.With some surprise, Cress realized that the operative__ grip had weakened.__r_ Thorne furrowed his brow, aiming the gun somewhere near the window. __ould you describe all those threats again because I feel like I missed something.

She sighed, annoyed at her restlessness. __o,_ she said, disrupting Wolf in another backward glance.__ho would win in a fight__ou or a pack of wolves?__e frowned at her, all seriousness. __epends,_ he said, slowly, like he was trying to figure out her motive for asking. __ow big is the pack?___ don__ know, what__ normal? Six?___ could win against six,_ he said. __ny more than that and it could be a close call.__carlet smirked. __ou__e not in danger of low self-esteem, at least.___hat do you mean?___othing at all._ She kicked a stone from their path. __ow about you and _ a lion?___ cat? Don__ insult me.__he laughed, the sound sharp and surprising. __ow about a bear?___hy, do you see one out there?___ot yet, but I want to be prepared in case I have to rescue you.__he smile she__ been waiting for warmed his face, a glint of white teeth flashing. ____ not sure. I__e never had to fight a bear before.

See? Injustice. Here we are, risking our lives to rescue Kai and this whole planet, and Adri and Pearl get to go to the royal wedding. I__ disgusted. I hope they spill soy sauce on their fancy dresses.__acin__ concern turned fast to annoyance. __our ship has some messed-up priorities, you know that?___ko. My name is Iko. If you don__ stop calling me the __hip,_ I am going to make sure you never have hot water during your showers again, do you understand me?___eah, hold that thought while I go disable the speaker system.___hat? You can__ mute me. Cinder!

Love is a conquest! Love is war!

It's all right," said Wolf. "You loved her. I would feel the same if someone wanted to erase Scarlet's identity and give it to Levana's army.Scarlet stiffened, heat rushing into her cheeks. He certainly wasn't insinuating . . ."Aaaaw," squealed Iko. "Did Wolf just say that he loves Scarlet? That's so cute!"Scarlet cringed. "He did not--that wasn't--" She balled her fists against her sides. "Can we get back to these soldiers that are being rounded up, please?""Is she blushing? She sounds like she's blushing.""She's blushing," Thorne confirmed, shuffling the cards. "Actually, Wolf is also looking a little flustered--

Just friends, she reminded herself. They were only friends, and would only be friends from here on out. It was a friendship that was to be cherished, as she cherished all the friendships she'd made aboard this ship. She wouldn't ruin it by wishing things could be more. She would be grateful for what affection she did have.

I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.

Maybe there isn__ such a thing as fate. Maybe it__ just the opportunities we__e given, and what we do with them. I__ beginning to think that maybe great, epic romances don__ just happen. We have to make them ourselves.

I knew they would kill me when they found out, but_ He struggled for words, releasing a sharp breath. __ think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.

Do you think she is?" Her voice trembled. Her heart throbbed as she waited for him to answer. "You think they've killed her?"Every moment wrapped around Scarlet's neck, strangling her, until the only possiblbe word from Wolf's mouth had to be yes. Yes, she was dead. Yes, she was gone. They'd murdered her. These monsters had murdered her.Scarlet pressed her palms into the crate, trying to push through the plastic. "Say it.""No," he murmured, shoulder sinking, "No, I don't think they've killed her. Not yet."Scarlet shivered with relief. She covered her face with both hands, dizzy with the hurricane of emotions. "Thank the stars," she whispered. "Thank you.