Shannon Duffy Quotes

Darian murdered them in cold blood. That's a crime punishable with life in the Terrorscape, where you experience the worst nightmares imaginable.

This was Darian One Sterling.
A murderer. And my childhood friend.

Ladies first." He places a hand on the ladder and gives it a pat.

As I step in front of him, my shoulder brushes against his chest.

It's hard to believe we're barricading ourselves against the one boy who used to protect me.

Maybe he's accepted our fate as well, I tell myself and hope it's true. As much as I'm unhappy with the pairing, I hate that I must be just as much of a disappointment to him.

He's not the Darian of my childhood - the one that played jacks with me on the sidewalk, despite being a year older. Nor is he the Darian who stood up for me when Asher bullied me and called me Carrot Top until I cried.

I run my fingers along its rough edges a moment, remembering the day Darian and I borrowed his dad's carving knife and engraved our initials in place.

She stares straight into the camera, eyes narrowed. She wears an expression I've not seen from her before. Disgust? Defiance? She looks nothing like the woman I've known my entire life.

Without the Dreamscape, we can't sleep.
My parents remind me all the time about stories their parents told them, of how things were in the Manic Age. The time before our bodies were upgraded to sync with the amazing invention called the Dreamscape. Thirty-eight years ago, people actually had to fall asleep on their own and, sometimes, they would toss and turn for hours. My grandparents said when sleep, in its mercy, did come, it often brought with it horrible images I've heard people used to call nightmares.

What?" he says all innocent-like and shrugs. "I like it. Besides, I paid good money for that artwork." A smirk plays on his full lips.

He already knows I'm his binding mate since I've been appearing in his dreams too, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to contain his loathing for me.