He looked down at my fingers wrapped around his coat then lifted his eyes to mine. 'My tiny huntress, do you know what you've done to me?

You know when you’re on a course that you know is the right one. You can’t explain it, you can’t define it, you don’t know how you got there or what all the obstacles will be, you just know the end result will be amazing and it will be worth it. That was the road I was on. Full speed ahead, no blinkers or turn signals, just cruise control.

Now at first you’ll feel a little dizzy, then a little numb, then you won’t feel anything at all.

The pure menace radiating from my younger sister is undeniable. She can hate me, but I need her to know that she has something that Stella never did: a place to fall. 'And if he hurts you or if anyone hurts you...You have me.' It feels unnatural, but I hug my sister. Her arms are limp at her sides, but she doesn't push me away. 'Remember, you have me,' I repeat.

I can also speak to small woodland creatures,” he grins at me.

...What good would it do toshutter your windows, neverdream of rainbows or find hopein promises? Why choose to walk awayrather than hold your groundand fight for love?

Love Darren? Of course not. Love is for fools not smart enough to see the path in front of them. That’s the difference between you and I, Ryiah. I see the truth and accept Darren for what he is. You just see what you want to see. It’s why I will wear the crown and bear his children while you are left wondering why you were never good enough.

That, after all, is what the great stories are written about: How people manage to find themselves in love. Well let me just say that how a person falls in love is more important than who they fall in love with, for to truly fall in love with someone else, you must first fall in love with yourself. The process a person goes through to break down his or her outer shell and let love in is often as miraculous as the mystery of falling in love.

After all, it seemed far nobler to give up one’s life to the light than to the dark.

The sun had begun its descent toward the horizon, and the sounds of the carnival played like a familiar song behind me.