Morpheus Quotes

Salem"

In salem seasick spindrift drifts or skips
to the canvas flapping on the seaward panes
until the knitting sailor stabs at ships
nosing like sheep of Morpheus through his brain's
asylum. Seaman, seaman, how the draft
lashes the oily slick about your head,
beating up whitecaps! Seaman, Charon's raft
dumps its damned goods into the harbor-bed,--
There sewage sickens the rebellious seas.
Remember, seaman, Salem fisherman
Once hung their nimble fleets on the Great Banks.
Where was it that New England bred the men
who quartered the Leviathan's fat flanks
and fought the British Lion to his knees? ~ Robert Lowell

I start to pull back, but he hugs me tighter.
"You love me. You admitted it."
"I do love you."
His body trembles in response, as if he can't contain his emotions at my confession. ~ A.G. Howard

What are you doing?" I ask Morpheus. "I've never seen anything so savage!" "'Savage'?" The green pig snorts an answer for him. "You act as if we're a bunch of animals. ~ A.G. Howard

Morpheus puts an arm around me. "You're all right, blossom," he says, his mouth at my ear. "Can you drive?"
I nod and sniffle.
"Good." He scoots back to his seat, then grabs my chin to force me to look at him. "Next time, I expect you to figure a way out. A netherling way."
My tears gather around his hand, smudging his fingers with makeup.
"You didn't leave me," I utter in disbelief. "I thought you would leave me."
He releases my face and looks out the opposite window while rubbing his hand on his jeans to wipe off my mascara. "Nonsense. I stayed for the car." ~ A.G. Howard

"Dance with me, blossom," he coaxes, and when I hesitate, he reels me in with his magic. I snuggle into his chest and let myself savor his vitality, wishing I could absorb it.
He wraps an arm around my waist and clasps my hand with his. Lips pressed to my dreadlocked head, he hums the lullaby's tune while his inner voice fills my head on a frequency only I can hear: "You dazzled me today. So uninhibited. So filled with malice." ~ A.G. Howard

Of all the times you've undressed me in my fantasies, I never remember feeling this ... unfulfilled."
"Please, Morpheus," I beg upon hearing Jeb stir in the background.
"Ah, but those delectable words," Morpheus says with a provocative smirk, "those are always in the fantasy."
I glare at him. "You're unbelievable."
"And that sentiment is reserved for the end. ~ A.G. Howard

Neo, sooner or later you're going to realize, just as I did, that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. ~ Morpheus

Smoke fills the room, gray and sylphlike, lovely in its deadly grace. It trails into the fire and forms what appear to be wings - black and magnificent. A man's silhouette fills out the image, two arms reaching for me.
Morpheus, or a mirage?
My mind trips back to our dance across the starlit sky in Wonderland, how amazing it felt to be so free. What would it feel like to dance with him in the middle of a blazing inferno, surrounded by an endless power that breathes and grows at our will? ~ A.G. Howard

There's a chilling grimness behind his gaze, and I let myself acknowledge what I've been denying: In his own way, Morpheus is my knight, too. He just has more muddled motivations than Jeb - not always unselfish and honorable, but vigilant. I have to give him that.
-Unhinged, pg 252 ~ A.G. Howard

Just as your Jebidiah now understands Wonderland's magic and feral desires, Morpheus understands the human world's emotional needs and insecurities. He and your mortal knight have always been your perfect mate, split in twain. But now each of them has gained enough insight to provide what you need in either realm. It is not the men bridging your heart. It is your heart bridging them. They are wiser because their love for you. I daresay even happier. Yes, they could subsist without you, but they are better men with you.They are the ones that need you to be complete, to be all they were meant to be. That does not you selfish. It makes you indispensable. ~ A.G. Howard

"You laid it on a little thick out there."
Morpheus clucks his tongue. "I performed masterfully," he answers, at last managing to claim his hat from Chessie.
"Right," Jeb scoffs. "Pretty sure my mistreatment wouldn't have sent you into hysterics, drama queen."
Morpheus smirks. "Fair enough. On the other hand, your portrayal of a brainless wind-up numbskull was spot on."
Jeb's lips quiver, as if he's fighting a smile himself. "You know, I still have enough paint to make that flyswatter."
"Tut. No need for violence." Morpheus taps the dust from his hat and places it on his head. "I'm simply giving credit where it's due." ~ A.G. Howard

You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.

Morpheus, The Matrix ~ Lana Wachowski

"How do you do that?" I ask. "How do you always turn everything around on everyone else? Manipulate even those who know better than to believe you?"
Morpheus shrugs. "That's my power. My magic. Persuasion."
"No. Your power is poison." My pride raises its head again. "Just so you know, there's something you'll never persuade me to do."
He studies me, smug. "What's that?"
"Love you."
Morpheus's jewels turn pale blue, the color of anguish, and I revel in the knowledge that I cut him.
"Never say never," he murmurs. ~ A.G. Howard

DESTRUCTION: Our sister [Death] defines life, just as Despair defines hope, or Desire defines hatred, or as Destiny defines freedom.
MORPHEUS: And what do I define, by this theory of yours.
DESTRUCTION: Reality, perhaps. ~ Neil Gaiman

You've always brought out the softer side in my master. But he hasn't changed. He's as changeless as he is ageless. He'll always be selfish, manipulative, untamable. He knows no other way to be, for he is all things Wonderland. ~ A.G. Howard

The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. "Miss me?"
The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing. "Oh, yes, very much, sire!"
"Well, I did not miss this place!" Dionysus snapped. "I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus, and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more."
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Strike that," Dionysus said. "Even Zeus doesn't know. ~ Rick Riordan

He made a trade. Red's life for his loyalty. In order to be true you forever after, he had to betray you one last time ~ A.G. Howard

I'm about to berate his tactics, to deny any feelings for him, when he cups the nape of my neck and presses his lips to mine, velvety soft. It's nothing but a peck, yet the flavor of the tart he sampled lingers like a warm, savory bruise - an irresistible torment to the netherling within.
He draws back and my skin glistens, radiant prisms reflected off his face and the cushions. I'm gripping his jacket lapels, yet I don't even remember reaching for him.
"No more denials," he says as he presses his left hand over one of mine. "I've seen the love in your eyes and in your actions. I felt it yesterday when I held you in my arms, and today, when you came to save me." ~ A.G. Howard

He touches my bottom lip, leaving behind a smear of fruity glaze. He watches as I suck away the bittersweet residue, then he licks the rest of the glaze from his fingertip. At the appearance of his tongue, heat blossoms in my face.
He smirks. "Look at that. I revived the color in your cheeks." ~ A.G. Howard

You had the morning together. He painted your half-naked body, the lucky sod. Had that been my job, your pretty clothes would ne'er have been crafted. ~ A.G. Howard

What is a lovely queen like you" - his nose wrinkles - "doing in a smelly place like this? ~ A.G. Howard

It's like watching a James Bond movie. Morpheus - in a black trench-coat-style blazer that hangs to his thighs, gray tweed pants, a dark gray vest, skinny red tie, and black pin-striped dress shirt - could pass for a punk-fae secret agent who's captured his villain. His thick blue waves touch his shoulders from under a gray tweed flat cap, and his wings drape down his back and across the floor, fluttering sporadically as he keeps his balance against Jeb's resistance. ~ A.G. Howard

You know how to manipulate me, and I know how to manipulate you. That makes us even.
No. We'll never be even.
We'll always be trying to outdo each other. I won't say it aloud, any more than I'll admit that I like it that way; that some primal, powerful side of me craves the challenge and always has. ~ A.G. Howard

One thing more: Wonderland and I are the same. You love one of us, you love the other. You are Wonderland, too. Which means we are the perfect fit, in more ways than you can even imagine. On our day together, I'll take great pleasure in showing you all of them. ~ A.G. Howard

"The decision falls to you. She's too weak to make it for herself. Red's greed and vengefulness saw to that when she made Alyssa's heart the battlefield."
"I'll do whatever it takes," Morpheus and Jeb answer simultaneously without hesitation. ~ A.G. Howard

Audie was the cleverest man Moss had ever met. He was Yoda. He was Gandalf. He was Morpheus. Now he'd become a walking suicide note. ~ Michael Robotham

I gasp. The profoundness of such a gesture, from a self-seeking fae, touches my soul. The only thing predictable about my future king is his unpredictability. "You once told me you wouldn't be a gentleman. You lied." ~ A.G. Howard

I'll wish for more wishes," I offer. Morpheus laughs. "Oh, of course you would. Just like Alice did. She asked for an endless supply of wishes. Then her tears wouldn't stop falling. That's how the ocean was born in the first place. We almost never got that fountain stopped. If you try to outsmart magic, there's always a price to be paid. ~ A.G. Howard

Salty tears stream down my face - coating my lips as I mutter senseless apologies for so many things. So many irreversible things.
Morpheus peels the vines off and lifts me, cradling me to his chest. ~ A.G. Howard

"I heard something earlier, from Humphrey's friend, Hubert. We stopped at his inn."
Morpheus practically beams. "Ah, Hubert. How is the old sot?"
"Glittery." I furrow my brow. "And grumpy."
A deep laugh rumbles in Morpheus's chest. "I've always enjoyed his company."
"Yeah." I scowl. "He's a real good egg. ~ A.G. Howard

I grin, and he beams with pride.
"So what kind of hat is that?" I ask, unable to resist. He's adorable when he's showing off his wardrobe - like a puppy doing tricks. Although I remain cautious, knowing in the blink of an eye he can become a wolf again.
"My Peregrination Cap," he answers.
"Huh?"
His smile widens - baring white teeth. "Peregrination. An excursion ... a journey."
"So, why don't you just call it your traveling cap?"
"Then it wouldn't be much of a conversation starter, would it?"
I raise an eyebrow. "Um, the fact that it's made of living moths might give you something to talk about."
Morpheus laughs. For once our relationship feels comfortable, friendly. ~ A.G. Howard

Yes. But I let you leave again, last year after you were crowned. And all those nights I brought you to Wonderland in your dreams, even though it pained me for you to abandon our dreamscapes and return to the mortal realm, I let you go each morning to live your reality there. It may not seem much when compared to your mortal's gallantry. But for me - self-seeking, arrogant prig that I am - that is the sincerest form of sacrifice. Letting you go. Do you not see that? ~ A.G. Howard

All the shades of us, in one brilliant rainbow. ~ A.G. Howard

I lift his chin with my fingertip. "I'm trying to tell you that if you keep following the good impulses, no matter how insignificant they might seem, I won't let you down like the others. I'll come back to you." I bite my tongue, careful not to show all of my hand. He can't know I've witnessed our future, only that I'm keeping a tally of his past.
Morpheus laughs. "Come back to me?"
"Someday."
"Perhaps I won't want you then. Perhaps I'll tire of waiting."
I swallow my pride. "Then it will be my turn to win YOU. I'm up for the challenge."
-Unhinged, pg 353 ~ A.G. Howard

"You're drawn to the darkness, to the lawlessness. Drawn to ... "
Morpheus.
Even if Dad doesn't say it out loud, I hear the name echo in the silence. ~ A.G. Howard

In that hushed hour between midnight and dawn when Morpheus' sable hands touch the rosy finger tips of Aurora and even the fairies are slumbering on their flowery couches, ~ Anya Seton

Jeb presses my knuckles to his chest. "No. I'll go. You fly back with bug snot." "Of course," Morpheus interrupts, his voice edged with something between sarcasm and suggestiveness. "I'll be happy to take Alyssa back with me. We can pick up where we left off in my bedroom, right, luv? ~ A.G. Howard

I shove him back. "I can convince him."
"What? By seducing him?" Morpheus scoffs. "I have half a mind to let you try. Whatever it takes to get the boy out of your system once and for all."
An angry throb pulses in my temples. "You're right. You do only have half a mind if you think your 'letting' me has anything to do with anything." ~ A.G. Howard

My name is Morpheus. Find a looking glass and call on me when you are ready to claim your destiny. With ~ A.G. Howard

"Let me guess. It has to do with Morpheus."
I groan. "It was just a kiss! Why is Jeb so hurt over a stupid kiss?"
"Wait a minute." Dad rocks back on his seat, causing the boat to bob. "You kissed that arrogant ... ? I don't even know how to process that."
"Me neither." ~ A.G. Howard

Morpheus turns his face to the sky. "I'm afraid you're the one who's mistaken, if you think I'm going to let Wonderland fall to rot so you can play 'pin the male on the virgin' with your mortal toy. ~ A.G. Howard

You understand the logic behind the illogical, Alyssa. It's in your nature to find tranquility amid the madness. And that's what we're doing here. We are giving our food a fighting chance. ~ A.G. Howard

Nothing about you or Wonderland makes sense. And the 'one abiding truth' is that life was so much easier when I'd forgotten your massive ego and that other world ever existed."
A tremor shifts through his features, first fragile, then severe. His muscles twitch under his T-shirt, sending a tingling sensation through my knuckles. "You want me nonexistent?"

Before I can respond, he steps back and flips the hat from his head. Then he drags off his vest and his T-shirt, dropping them all on the floor at my feet. Once he's peeled off his necklace and bracelets, he stands there facing me in only jeans and boots.

I watch him warily. "W-w-what are you doing?"

"I'm clearing the way for my massive ego. ~ A.G. Howard

My mom stares at him in disbelief. "This is thanks to your schemes. You pressured her to choose you ... to choose Wonderland over her other side. What did you think would happen?"
Morpheus hunches lower, miserable. ~ A.G. Howard

"I'm just asking you to wait a little while," I whisper. "Isn't forever worth that?" Not giving him the chance to answer, I press my mouth to his cheek, a promise for someday. One pulse of my lips for my childhood friend, and one for the man I'm only starting to know. ~ A.G. Howard

Seeing me surrounded by paper towels on the floor, Morpheus lifts his eyebrows. "Building a nest?" he asks. "There's no need to start acting like a bird simply because you have a propensity for flying. ~ A.G. Howard

Long ago, there was a dream within a dream that allowed joy to reign, but that youthful breath drifted away as swiftly as a summer rain. There was nothing left after the dawn, except for a world darkened by a King's broken heart. Now only Morpheus induced silhouettes dance in these lightless plains. They dance in sequence to the sound of time – unmoved by existence – trapped in a single thought I hope lies within you. ~ H.S. Crow

Your boyfriend has some real trust issues," Morpheus baits. "Shut up. He had a rough childhood." "He should be grateful he had one at all. ~ A.G. Howard

Come down, luv. Don't be shy. Every wedding ceremony needs witnesses. Why should mine and yours be any different? ~ A.G. Howard

The boy bled for you - a whole body's worth of blood. There's no love greater than that. He belongs to you alone." His words are surprisingly beautiful and kind, and somewhere in my heart, I know he's right. But how long will I have to wait for Jeb to have the courage to admit it to himself? Morpheus touches the scars on my palm. "But let us not forget that you bled for me. So to whom do you belong, Alyssa? ~ A.G. Howard

"But you're a full-blood netherling. You don't know how to use your imagination."
"On the contrary. I do. Thanks to you. I followed your example in our childhood. I absorbed it without even realizing. Then, when I was stuck here deprived of my magic, I had to find something to while away those weeks and hours. Perhaps that was the silver lining to this entire debacle. The lack of magic is what leads humans to fantasize in the first place. And Alyssa, what a wonderfully powerful force an imagination can be."
His expression is awestruck, exactly the way he used to look at me during our childhood escapades. How inconceivable, that I was his teacher, too. He once told me I was, but I never grasped what he meant until now. ~ A.G. Howard

Though my heart is heavy, it is also strong and unbreakable, thanks to two men who put my needs above their own. Morpheus ~ A.G. Howard

You crave chaos. You're happiest when the world is in an uproar. You thrive on madness. Even when your magic is at its best when it's the catalyst to confusion. You still can't admit this? ~ A.G. Howard

Bah." Morpheus snags a paintbrush. "She should be draped in starlight and clouds, lace and softness. Nothing less should touch her skin." He points the bristles at Jeb. "I saw what you put Thomas in. You are not painting her into one of those goon suits. She is royalty. Dress her like royalty. Give her some glitter ... some glitz. And a crown. ~ A.G. Howard

My mind blurs to a ripple of pleasure when his soft, full lips at last make contact with mine. He starts to deepen the kiss, but pauses, intent on the glass behind me. "You gotta be kidding."
I glance over my shoulder. Outside, Morpheus hangs on the glass in moth form, level with my head, glaring at us with his bulbous gaze. Even without a face, his smugness is apparent. His favorite pastime is interrupting Jeb's romantic moments. I try not to laugh, but can't help myself.
"Cocky son of a bug." Jeb sets me on the floor and draws the dropcloth tighter around me.
A barn owl swoops from the sky and skims the glass. Morpheus launches off in a tizzy, trying to outrun the bird. Now Jeb's the one laughing.
I slap his shoulder. "Hey, that's not funny."
"Ah, he'll be okay." Jeb raises an eyebrow, watching the aerial pursuit taking place outside the glass. "It's a new genus of vegetarian owls. They're only in it for the chase. Besides, Morphie-boy can change to his other form anytime he wants." ~ A.G. Howard

I start to take off my seat belt. "I'm still stuck."
Morpheus eases closer and grasps my hand. "Shall we try to take the skirt off?" he says, his voice provocative. "We have the leisure of doing it right this time. ~ A.G. Howard

Either way, I'm under your skin. Either way, I win. ~ A.G. Howard

The master of word manipulation strikes again. ~ A.G. Howard

Covering up with one of his wings, I surround myself with the scent of licorice and honey. "You want to hold me while I sleep. You want to watch my face as I dream like you never have - from the outside."
He traces my eye markings with an elegant fingertip. "That will be my memory to cling to, until you're mine forever at last, both in waking hours and sleep. The question is, do you trust me enough to give me that? To rest in my arms tonight?"
I hold his soft palm against my cheek. "Will you sing me my lullaby?"
He weaves his fingers through my hair and presses my forehead to his. "Forever and always," he whispers.
As he hums the tune that has been inside my mind and heart all my life, I close the waterfall canopy, cocooning us within our own frozen pocket of time. ~ A.G. Howard

I pretend to reach for them, but before he can guess my intentions, I catch one of his wings instead. He flutters, trying to break loose, his one free wing batting my hand.
I draw out the decanter and stuff him into it, careful to fold his wings. I don't want to hurt him. I just want to better him.
Once he's settled inside, I shove a paper towel into the bottle's neck. No need to worry that he'll smother. After all, he spent that night in a bug trap last year and survived.
"Looks like you're going to have some turbulence on your flight," I tell him through the glass.
His voice fills my head, an angry, scolding growl. When I don't respond, he yells Chessie's name. Chessie flits over to the car and sits on the side mirror, licking his paw, amused and uninterested in taking sides.
I hold the decanter up to get a closer look at Morpheus. "Game, set, match, luv. You do realize that my human side defeated you, right? No magic required."
Unlike a real moth that would beat itself against the glass walls until exhausted, he hangs under the curved neck, dignified, glaring with his bulbous eyes. If he had a mouth instead of a proboscis, I'd be able to tell if he's snarling or beaming with pride. Knowing him, it could be either. Most likely, it's both. ~ A.G. Howard

The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.

Morpheus, The Matrix ~ Lana Wachowski

Morpheus tilts his head to meet my gaze from behind the frame. "Aw, shy little blossom. You should've seen the atrocities he tried to put me in those first few days. He didn't let me have a say until I walked around naked for a few hours. Should you decide to employ that strategy, I'll be behind you one hundred percent. Or in front of you. Lady's choice." He winks. ~ A.G. Howard

You are not painting her into one of those goon suits. She is royalty. Dress her like royalty. Give her some glitter . . . some glitz. And a crown." "Go back to your room, Morpheus." Jeb takes the paintbrush. "The grown-ups have work to do. ~ A.G. Howard

«He grins and straightens, wings high and regal behind him. I glare at his costume. It's so typical him. A mix of medieval and rock star: brown leather forearm guards with studs over a ruffle-cuffed white shirt, and a cavalier doublet in burgundy with a gold lace overlay. The hem hits above his muscled thighs, so the skintight burgundy hose taper smoothly into knee-high brown boots, leaving nothing to the imagination. Worst of all, he has a crown.
He dressed as a fairy king. The irony doesn't escape me.
I scowl.
"Problem, luv?" He looks down on me from behind a gold lace half mask while adjusting the ruby-jeweled crown over his blue hair with velvet-clad hands. Tiny moth corpses are suspended in the rubies, like stained-glass fossils.
I shake my head. "I'm pretty sure you'll be the only one wearing anything tight enough to need a codpiece. Always have to be the showstopper, don't you?"

"Oh, I assure you, what I chose to show is only the start.» ~ A.G. Howard

I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it

Morpheus, The Matrix ~ Lana Wachowski

Morpheus: Rest, Neo...The Answers Are Coming ~ Morpheus

Morpheus yelps.
Once we're back on the road, I catch a glimpse of him in the rearview. His beloved hat is crushed against his chest between his fists. ~ A.G. Howard

The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.

Morpheus, The Matrix ~ Lana Wachowski

Oh, but my netherling side did, and she casts my human armor aside.
She guides my hands, knots my fingers through his hair, teases his tongue with hers. She won't let me pull away, because she wants to be there again. In Wonderland, where his tobacco-flavored kisses always take us . . .
Because the things I loathe are the things she adores: His snark, his infuriating condescension. His menacing mastery of half-truths and riddles. The way he shoves me into the face of danger, forces me to look beyond my fears and reach for my full potential.
Most of all, because he encourages me to believe in the madness ...in her . . . the darker side of myself: the queen who was born to reign over the Red kingdom and to give Wonderland a legacy of dreams and imagination.
His gloved palms seek the bend of my waist, the bow of my hips. He moves me on top of him, so close there's not enough space for a blade of grass between us. His kisses grow insistent, desperate. His flavor winds through me, fruit and smoke and earth, and other things born of shadows and storms . . . things I can't put a name to. ~ A.G. Howard

We turned to find Morpheus standing there with enough rage in his black eyes to send the Devil packing for heaven. ~ A.G. Howard

For there was nothing in his eyes but the black night and the cold stars. ~ Susanna Clarke

"I'm not trying to lead you on. Or him, either."
Jeb's frown deepens. "I know you're not playing games. I also know you're not the kind of girl who kisses a guy for no reason."
"You're right. The first time was to get my wish back. And the second ... it was supposed to be a peck on the cheek. He changed it to something more."
"Oh, come on!" Jeb shouts, causing me to flinch. "This is what makes me crazy. That you can't admit it to me or yourself. You kissed him because you have feelings for him." ~ A.G. Howard

Release me of my vow," I say, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "We both know I'll never have feelings for you. So why even play this game? There's nothing between us." If I can say it to his face, maybe it will be true.
He leans in so his wings cast us both in shade, and his jewels flash a blinding red. "I'll prove you wrong. The moment this war is over, when I have you to myself for twenty-four hours. You'll never again question what we have between us. ~ A.G. Howard

"Morpheus." Jeb bites down on the name, as if trying to chew it up. "He visits your dreams and flies with you. How can a human compete with that?"
"This isn't a competition," I say. "I made my choice."
"Is that why you lied for so long?" He won't meet my gaze, concentrating instead on his boots. "Because you made your choice?" His jaw clamps so tight I can see the muscles twitch beneath the skin. "No. You lied because I'm just a skater. Just an artist. I have nothing to offer. He can give you a world of magic and beauty." His eyes slowly trail up to mine. They're like a forest trampled by a storm. "A world that you were born to rule."

***

"Just an artist. You painted my freedom with your blood. Just a skater. You flew across a chasm on a skateboard made of a tea tray to get me to safety. You don't need magic, Jeb." I touch his face, and he leans his stubbled cheek against my palm, all of his anger and hurt seeping away. "You held your own against everything that was thrown at us, using only human courage and ingenuity. You're my knight. There's nothing left to prove anymore. Not to your dad, not to my mom, not to Morpheus, not to me. You've already proven you're the guy I always knew you were. The guy I love." ~ A.G. Howard

They have both loved you with a child's love, and now a man's. It is the child's love that holds you together ... cemented by the moments you shared with them that they treasure most. ~ A.G. Howard

I curse him silently for moving my hands as he raises them to study the scars. He kisses them, his lips a fluid brush along sensitive flesh, then places them on his cheeks.
Mouth inches from mine, he whispers, "Forgive me for bringing you into this. There was no other way." His skin is softer than clouds must feel, and the tears gathering around my fingertips are hot and tangible. But are they sincere?
Our breaths swirl between us, and his black eyes swallow me whole. My heart knocks against the bottom of his rib cage. I know what's coming next. I fear it. But it's the surest way to distract him and get the wish. And if it has to happen, I'm going to be the instigator.
Rising up on my toes, I press my mouth to his. He moans, frees my wrists, and sweep-s me into his arms - sealing the teddy bear between us ~ A.G. Howard

Those who live with insomnia and who consider sleep both an enemy and a gift will understand the following. Some of us cannot comprehend how anyone except the very good or those who have no conscience at all can sleep from dark to dawn without dreaming or waking. We hear William Blake's tiger padding softly through a green jungle, his stripes glowing, his whiskers spotted with gore. Psychoanalysis does no good. Neither does a health regimen that induces physical exhaustion. The only solution that is guaranteed is the one provided by our old friend Morpheus, who requires our souls in the bargain. ~ James Lee Burke

DEATH: "Mostly they aren't too keen to see me. They fear the sunless lands. But they enter your realm each night without fear."
MORPHEUS: "And I am far more terrible than you, sister. ~ Neil Gaiman

I find her anecdotes more efficacious than sheep-counting, rain on a tin roof, or alanol tablets ... you will find me and Morpheus, off in a corner, necking. ~ Dorothy Parker

Believing you're alone in the universe is less terrifying than admitting you might have an otherworldly audience. Morpheus ~ A.G. Howard

We talk and tease and bargain with the main dish. Maniacal laughter echoes in the marble halls, sweet to my ears.
There's movement at the banquet hall's entrance. A child with my eyes tumbles in - all wings and blue hair and giggling innocence. Holding his hand is Morpheus, wearing a ruby crown.
The Red King. My king.
The bubble bursts and takes the vision with it, leaving nothing but the sound of my gasp and wisps of gray smoke behind.
"You see," Ivory says, "once Morpheus knew that one day you would belong to him and he to you, that you would share a child, he was no longer willing to die to save Wonderland. But he's insecure about your feelings for him. He feared you would refuse to help. So he made a new plan, however flawed it was." ~ A.G. Howard

"It wasn't a ruse. Everything I said is true."
He huffs and attempts a glare. But underneath, I see the same doubt and vulnerability I heard in his voice when he sent me to the train without him. I also see something more: a damaged and enchanted fairy who pushed aside his selfishness and faced the bandersnatch for me, who looked a train dead-on, who put himself between Jeb and Sister Two, and who saved my dad from having his life sucked away.
I'm overwhelmed with compassion and gratitude and another emotion I don't dare put a name to. I have to convince him that there's a place for him in my heart, too.
Just not yet.
I glance at the wings covering me, at his body, immovable in front of me, then rise up on tiptoe and take his smooth face in both my hands. He tenses for an instant - suspicious - but relaxes slowly, each muscle surrendering bit by bit as I stroke his jaw. ~ A.G. Howard

Where was the excitement in dependability? Where was the spontaneity in a predictable world? He could offer her an eternity of challenges and passion, of quiet, tender moments stolen in the depths of riotous flames and ravaging storms - tranquility amidst the chaos.
She belonged with him, wearing regal robes. He had so much to teach her about the nether realm, about the glories of manipulation and madness. ~ A.G. Howard

He pulls free before we make contact. "A moment, please. Allow me to bask in your devotion." He's referring to my ankle tattoo.
I blush. "I've told you a hundred times. It's only a set of wings."
"Nonsense." Morpheus grins. "I know a moth when I see one."
I groan in frustration, and he surrenders, letting me press our markings together. A spark rushes between them, expanding to a firestorm through my veins. His gaze locks on mine, and the bottomless depths flicker - like black clouds alive with lightning. For that instant, I'm bared to the bone. He looks inside my heart; I look inside his. And the similarities there terrify me. ~ A.G. Howard

Without warning, he tossed a bottle of water at me, which I caught. "Nope, no joke. Now I've got to get some beauty sleep, and based on the way you look, you could use a little yourself. ~ Angela McPherson

I'm game for anything. Will you pelt me with falling hearts in a symbolic rain of our unrequited love? Or perhaps chain me to a wall in lace made of moonlight and have your way with me? ~ A.G. Howard

"I believe I'll keep that one to myself, luv. If I told you all my secrets, there would be no more mystery in our relationship."
"I'm not a big fan of mysteries."
That roguish smile I once hated curls his lips and curls my insides. "Rubbish. You adore them." ~ A.G. Howard

I wanted to lift you above me and swing you in circles until we were both dizzy and laughing. I wanted to kiss your lips and share your breath. And I wanted to dress you in threads befitting a queen. ~ A.G. Howard

I consider the name. It wasn't on the list, but as I study the baby's flawless features, I can't deny it fits. My muse led me into this world in the first place, then gave me the power to rule it; Jeb's muse repainted Wonderland so many years ago, then stayed here to bring peace between two realms. Even though Morpheus would never admit it aloud, this is his way of honoring Jeb's contribution, my other side, and human flights of fancy. The sentiment affects me deeply, warms me all the way from my wing tips to my toes, and I'm grateful beyond words. But ~ A.G. Howard

Now that you've gone looking for him, he won't be breaking his word. Not technically. You're fair game."
I lace my fingers through hers, trying to ground her. "You're freaking me out. Who are you talking about?"
"He'll come for you. He'll step through your dreams. Or the looking glass ... stay away from the glass, Allie! Do you understand?"
"Mirrors?" I ask, incredulous. "You want me to stay away from mirrors?"
She scrambles to her feet, and I struggle to balance on my crutch. "Broken glass severs more than skin. It will sever your identity. ~ A.G. Howard

In unison, they recited an ancient rhyme.
"With one blue eye to rule the sky,
An eye of brown controls the ground;
Magic swirls within our souls,
Cryptic, mystic, spiritualistic,
To protect the weak from evil's effect,
Elements guide us, ever bind us.
A band of witches scattered wide
From Warlock Morpheus we must hide. ~ Vonnie Davis

Morpheus places his hand on Jeb's busy fingers, eyes opened to slits. "Ah, my pretty pseudo elf." He takes labored breath. "is it time at last to express our unrequited feelings? ~ A.G. Howard

When he opens his mouth to speak, I place a finger on his lips.
"It's my love for you that makes this hurt so much," I say, my voice strong and resolved. "I had faith in you and you betrayed me." ~ A.G. Howard

"Is there something between the two of you?" I pause at the threshold, waiting.
"No! I hate the wretch." His face, crisscrossed with lacework shadows, grows somber. "I hate her with the same changeless passion with which I love you." ~ A.G. Howard

"What's with you?" Jen asks. "You act like I caught you guys making out in his car."
Morpheus laughs. "Timing truly is everything, isn't it?"
"What does that mean?" Jen turns to him.
Morpheus holds my gaze. "Had you been just a few minutes earlier, you would have caught us. I had my hands in Alyssa's skirt." ~ A.G. Howard

There is no reasoning when it comes to Morpheus. You just accept him as he is. ~ A.G. Howard

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I'm offering is the truth – nothing more. ~ Morpheus

Morpheus laughs. " 'Mutated.' The word you're looking for is evolved , luv. He has shed his monkey mortal state and donned the robes of netherling immortality. That's a step up, not a step down." ~ A.G. Howard

"A son," I say, recalling every detail of the child's perfect face.
Ivory's smile is blinding. "A most unique creature. The first child to be born to two netherlings who've shared a childhood. Wonderland is founded on chaos, madness, and magic. For so long, innocence and imagination have had no place there. As a result, we haven't had children, at least by your world's definition. And because of this, we've lost the ability to dream. But Morpheus experienced those things via you, each time you played together in your dreams. Through your child, Wonderland will thrive with new magic and strength. Our offspring will become true children once more; they will learn to dream again. And all will be right with our world. ~ A.G. Howard

"So good to see you again, little luv. How I've missed you."
Gasping, I fall to my knees. The Caterpillar and the moth and the winged guy. They are all one and the same. They have been all along ...
"I've seen that bug," Jeb says. "In your car. On the mirror." He drops the backpack and grips my shoulders, trying to drag me ti my feet. My legs won't cooperate.
"Tut-tut. You are never to bow to me, lovely Alyssa." The voice drifts from the moth's proboscis on gray puffs of smoke. His attention shifts to Jeb. "You, on the other hand, will bow to her." ~ A.G. Howard