Ryan Graudin

Yael wanted to be like the Valkyrie maidens in the old Norse lore. Winged women who rode to war on the backs of wolves, choosing which soldiers lived and died. She'd thought she could death mean something, if she wielded it right

Monsters cut children open and call it progress. Monsters murder entire groups of people without blinking but get upset when they have to wash human ash from their garden strawberries. Monsters are the ones who watch other people do these things and do nothing to stop it.

Why, yes. I am a strange wonder. The most special of snowflakes! Born out of time, forever running to catch up to it!

Healing hurt.

It was good that she remembered him, though it was exhausting to do so.No rest for the weary. Or the dying. Or the dead.

Don't show emotion." Kurt Löwe gave his son a rough shake, "Don't you ever show emotion. Tears are weakness. And I won't have any son of mine being weak. You're going to stand here until you top crying.

All secrets sound the same in the dark.

Cassiopeia? She was a queen long ago, in a different part of the world. The stories say she was very beautiful, but very proud. Too proud. She smack-talked some goddesses and got herself stuck up there for all eternity.

The world was not just moving. It was alive. And it was ready to fight.

Kids with roofs and hot food have better things to do than play survival of the thuggiest.

Hope could not outlast the breather. Love, however . . . Love was something not even death could conquer, because at the end of everything, even life, he was hers.