Kiva Quotes

Hope was a drug and Kiva, an addict.

My name is Kiva Meridan, and I claim her sentence as my own.

It's a shame about the c-c-cut on his face," Tipp said. "Why's that?" Kiva murmured only half-listening. "It'll ruin his pretty face." "Pretty face or not, he's still a man, Tipp." "So?" "So", Kiva said, "most men are pigs". "I'm a man. I'm not a p-pig." "You're still young", Kiva returned. "Give it time.

offering a gentle smile to Kiva and sending a meaningful look to his cousin. “Take care of her.” “Goshdarnit, there go my plans to toss her in the Serin,” Caldon deadpanned.

Something on the ground caught her attention, and she clapped gleefully. “Happy kitty!” Jaren tugged her back before she could try to pet it. “That’s a dead rat.” Kiva pouted as he pulled her away. “Sad kitty.

As far as Kiva could tell, whenever selfish humans encountered a wrenching, life-altering crisis, they embarked on a journey of five distinct stages: Denial. Denial. Denial. Fucking Denial. Oh shit everything is terrible grab what you can and run.

You need to stop this,” he said, smoothing her forehead again. “Keep frowning, and you’ll age thirty years in no time. Maybe forty.” She batted away his hand and deliberately deepened her frown. “That’s lovely,” he said. “Real charming.” “Have you always been this annoying?” Kiva asked. “You bring out the best in me, Sweet Cheeks.

It’s just a reminder that war favors the rich. The ones who can leave, do. The ones who can’t, suffer.” Kiva was silent for a moment. Then, “Fuck you for having a conscience, Tomi.

Tears blurred Kiva’s eyes, and she lunged forward to embrace Caldon, whispering in his ear, “Thank you.” “Gods, why do you always cry when you’re hugging me?” he muttered, patting her on the back. “We really have to work on that.

I did fall in love with a lie, but that lie was you. I fell in love with you, Kiva. I am in love with you. Then and now, nothing about that has changed — except now I know the real you.

Our scars define us,” Maddis said quietly, the tip of her finger tracing the three slashed lines. “They tell a story of courage and survival. They tell of who we are at our deepest being, of the challenges we’ve faced and overcome.” Whispering now, she patted Kiva’s hand and finished, “Not all scars are as visible as this. I daresay you have many more on the inside. But never forget that every scar is beautiful. And you should never, ever, be ashamed of them.

You’re both idiots,” he grumbled into their ears. “I don’t know why I love you. Frankly, I deserve better.” He then released them to place loud, smacking kisses on first Kiva’s and then Jaren’s cheeks, before saying, “No more lovers’ spats. My poor little heart can’t take it.

I’m s-sorry!” he cried, tilting his tearstained face back to look at her through watery blue eyes. “I’m s-s-so sorry! J-Jaren said I should f-forgive you, that you d-didn’t have a choice and you o-only lied to protect me, but I was j-just so mad! And you n-nearly drowned thinking I h-hate you! I d-don’t! I don’t hate you, K-Kiva! I couldn’t n-never

Who is this Tipp I keep hearing about?” Ashlyn murmured. “Unnaturally happy kid,” Cresta said, sounding bored. “Like a little brother to Kiva, until he learned she’d been lying to him for years. Keep up, would you?

Strength was Caliza taking on the weight of a kingdom without a single complaint. Strength was Kiva's willingness to give up everything she'd ever known to protect someone she loved. Strength was Caylus's curious mind, Auma's unwavering determination, and Ericen's struggle to remain honourable in a kingdom that had forgotten the meaning. Every day, they fought, and every day, they were strong. And I could do the same.

Mother is dead. I'm on my way to Vallenia. It's time to reclaim our kingdom.

And so, the healer and the guard worked side by side into the night, the balance of power between them blurring— and perhaps, as Kiva was beginning to realize, fading entirely.

For all that, the higher Kiva ascended the steps of power, the more she realized that her policy of selfishness had, shall we say, certain limits. Perhaps

Cresta — she’s —” “A Kildarion?” Caldon said, his grin widening. “That was a delicious little secret to keep, let me tell you.” Kiva gaped at him. “You knew?” He rolled his eyes. “When are you going to realize that I know everything?

Instead of laughing as he’d intended, Kiva felt new tears well in her eyes at how he was treating her. At how normal he seemed. “No, gods, please don’t start again.” Caldon raised his hands in a pleading sign. “I don’t have anything dry left for you to snot into.

It's not really her. It's the angeldust. She has a problem with it, sometimes takes too much. Too often. When that happens, she forgets who she is, gets confused, loses control." "My name is Kiva Meridan, and I claim her sentence as my own." "I value everything you say, Kiva.

India's linguistic diversity surprises many Westerners, but there are nearly thirty languages in India with at least a million native speakers. There are more native speakers of Tamil on our planet than of Italian. Likewise, more people speak Punjabi than German, Marathi than French, and Bengali than Russian. There are more Telugu speakers than Czech, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Slovak, and Swedish speakers combined.

See you in a few days,” Eidran said, his only goodbye to the group — though he did meet Kiva’s eyes, then slide his gaze to Jaren, before grinning at them both. It was the first time Kiva had ever seen him smile, the expression enough to dazzle her until Jaren gave a pointed cough.

Cutting the power was necessary to reboot security and other systems, they said. Power will resume momentarily. Be ready to move when it does. Enjoy this music until then! The tablet began playing soothing instrumental versions of modern popular hits. Kiva didn’t know whether to shit or hum along.

Kiva has spent over half her life locked in a nightmare. The last thing I want is to make her feel like she’s trapped in another kind of cage, gilded though it might be. I have no idea what the future will bring for us, but right now she deserves the chance to live her life and follow her dreams. I can only hope she’ll grant me the honor of being by her side on that journey, and if she does, you’ll have to find a way to deal with it. I don’t think I can be any clearer than that.

Monstrous wars that had killed tens of thousands of innocent people weren’t enough to inspire enlightened self-interest. Tiny loans, on the other hand, were. Money has no religion.

The Rebel Queen may have perished at Zandilov, but her daughter was alive and well, and free of Zandilov after ten long years. The Rebel Princess was finally ready to rise.

Our lives take on meaning to the degree that our love and our actions are the same.

If it’s important t-to you, it’s important to m-me,” Tipp said quietly, walking over to wrap his arms around her waist. “We’re in this t-together, Kiva. Always.

I understand you knew Nadashe Nohamapetan personally.” “I did,” Kiva said. “What did you think of her?” “She’s a raging jar of crotch sweat.” “Seems accurate.

Until then, get the fuck out of my office.” “I enjoy watching you work,” Fundapellonan said, after Heuvel got the fuck out of Kiva’s office.

If I end up with a cricked neck, you’re giving me a massage tomorrow,” he said, leaning his head against Tipp’s mattress, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He closed his eyes and said, “Go to sleep, Kiva.” She couldn’t keep the tears from welling this time, knowing he was only staying there for her. “Gods, don’t start crying again,” Caldon mumbled, somehow sensing her overflowing emotions, even with his eyes closed. “Come here.” He reached out blindly and drew her closer until her head rested on his shoulder, and only then did he repeat, “Sleep, Kiva.

Kiva was quickly coming to understand why Serafine was so beloved; it was impossible not to be drawn to her gentle spirit and sincere kindness. What Navok considered Serafine’s weakness, Kiva considered her strength.

That part I didn’t know,” Cresta said. “I just lied to Tor so he’d get me out.” She flashed an unrepentant grin — the expression transforming her face enough that Kiva heard Caldon suck in a swift breath — and said, “He wasn’t very happy with me. Naughty Cresta.

To be fair, the House of Lagos let loose a virus that wiped out a staple crop.” “To be fair, you can go fuck yourself because we had nothing to do with that and you know it.” “I’ve missed you, Kiva. You and your marvelous way with the word ‘fuck.’” “No you haven’t, but thank you anyway.” Ghreni

Kiva’s heart clutched at his words. Not at his threat, but because he hadn’t said anything about going with them. “Mot—” “Get outta ’ere, Kiva luv,” Mot said, his gaze softening as he looked her way, then settled on Tipp in her arms. “Give ’im a good life, yeah? Yeh both deserve to find ’appiness.

All right, first question. Where the fuck am I?” The person Kiva Lagos addressed sat at a small desk in a small room and appeared amused. “I thought your first question might be who the fuck am I.” “All right, fine. Who the fuck are you?” “My name is Captain Robinette.” “Hello, Captain Robinette. Charmed. Where the fuck am I?

Kiva shot a look at the princess. “You said it’s mostly men who it kills.” Ashlyn shrugged. “I might have fibbed a little. It’s an equal-opportunity poison.” Her silvery eyes danced as she added, “If you’d died, at least you wouldn’t have had to marry Navok. I figured you’d be happy either way.” Deadpan, Kiva said, “Please never try to help me again.

The Hand of the Gods was intended to be used by both Torvin and Sarana together, since it was a symbol of their peaceful union and the prosperity they wished not just for their kingdom, but the entirety of Wenderall. As such, it can only work by combining Vallentis magic and Corentine magic — healing magic, that is, not death magic.” His eyes locked with Kiva’s startled ones. “You’re the last remaining Corentine with healing magic. Navok needs you.

You still haven’t said where you were,” Caldon said. “All Tipp could tell us was that it was ‘just out of the city’—we had no idea where to look for you.” “I didn’t ask you to look for me.” The words left Kiva before she could stop them. “What part of this aren’t you understanding?” Caldon growled, his ire rising anew. “We care about you, Kiva. Ignoring that you deliberately kept me from coming with you—which I would have done in a heartbeat, as you damned well know—when you didn’t return, we thought something had happened to you. Do you have any idea how that feels, to know someone you care about is missing, possibly in danger, and you don’t know how to find them?

How much?” Patz said nothing but gave Kiva a look that she interpreted as saying a whole fuckton.

I thought I asked to dispense with bullshit.” “There’s bullshit and then there’s bullshit, Lady Kiva.” “Well, you’re right about that, at least.

The archbishop arrived at the lectern, dressed in archbishopric finery, or so Kiva supposed, since she didn’t actually attend church with any regularity, although she had once had sex in a cathedral, which was great, if you like cold and echoey, which Kiva discovered she didn’t so much.

Take Kiva. Launched in October 2005—and named for the Swahili word for unity—this website allows anyone to lend money directly to a small business in the developing world via a peer-to-peer microfinance model.

Jos joku yrittää sinua lannistaa ja väittää, mitä sinun muka täytyy tehdä ollaksesi kiltti ja kiva ja oikeanlainen, sinun ei tarvitse edes väittää vastaan. Et ole kenellekään selitystä velkaa siitä, että olet omanlaisesi sinä. Voit vain jatkaa elämääsi omaan tapaasi ja hankkia ympärillesi ihmisiä, jotka pitävät sinusta juuri sellaisena kuin olet. Sellaisia ihmisiä on.

1453: Coffee is introduced to Constantinople by Ottoman Turks. The world's first coffee shop, Kiva Han, opens there in 1475. Turkish law makes it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he fails to provide her with her daily quota of coffee.

Kiva Lagos’s very first word as an infant was “fuck,

ceremonial tools that archaeologists found hidden in the niches of these ancient kivas had been used by medicine men to open the portals this book is studying, in order to contact parallel realities.

Today Shakey’s original DNA can be found in everything from the Kiva warehouse robot and Google’s autonomous car to Apple’s Siri intelligent assistant.

for several years starting in 2004, Bezos visited iRobot’s offices, participated in strategy sessions held at places like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , and became a mentor to iRobot chief executive Colin Angle, who cofounded the company in 1990. “He recognized early on that robots were a very disruptive game-changer,’’ Angle says of Bezos. “His curiosity about our space led to a very cool period of time where I could count upon him for a unique perspective.’’ Bezos is no longer actively advising the company, but his impact on the local tech scene has only grown larger. In 2008, Bezos’ investment firm provided initial funding for Rethink Robotics, a Boston company that makes simple-to-program manufacturing robots. Four years later, Amazon paid $775 million for North Reading-based Kiva, which makes robots that transport merchandise in warehouses. Also in 2012, Amazon opened a research and software development outpost in Cambridge that has done work on consumer electronics products like the Echo, a Wi-Fi-connected speaker that responds to voice commands. Rodney Brooks, an iRobot cofounder who is now chief technology officer of Rethink, says he met Bezos at the annual TED Conference. Bezos was aware of work that Brooks, a professor emeritus at MIT, had done on robot navigation and control strategies. Helen Greiner, the third cofounder of iRobot, says she met Bezos at a different technology conference, in 2004. Shortly after that, she recruited him as an adviser to iRobot. Bezos also made an investment in the company, which was privately held at the time. “He gave me a number of memorable insights,’’ Angle says. “He said, ‘Just because you won a bet doesn’t mean it was a good bet.’ Roomba might have been lucky. He was challenging us to think hard about where we were going and how to leverage our success.’’ On visits to iRobot, Greiner recalls, “he’d shake everyone’s hand and learn their names. He got them engaged.’’ She says one of the key pieces of advice Bezos supplied was about the value of open APIs — the application programming interfaces that allow other software developers to write software that talks to a product like the Roomba, expanding its functionality. The advice was followed. (Amazon also offers a range of APIs that help developers build things for its products.) By spending time with iRobot, Bezos gave employees a sense they were on the right track. “We were all believers that robotics would be huge,’’ says former iRobot exec Tom Ryden. “But when someone like that comes along and pays attention, it’s a big deal.’’ Angle says that Bezos was an adviser “in a very formative, important moment in our history,’’ and while they discussed “ideas about what practical robots could do, and what they could be,’’ Angle doesn’t want to speculate about what, exactly, Bezos gleaned from the affiliation. But Greiner says she believes “there was learning on both sides. We already had a successful consumer product with Roomba, and he had not yet launched the Kindle. He was learning from us about successful consumer products and robotics.’’ (Unfortunately, Bezos and Amazon’s public relations department would not comment.) The relationship trailed off around 2007 as Bezos got busier — right around when Amazon launched the Kindle, Greiner says. Since then, Bezos and Amazon have stayed mum about most of their activity in the state. His Bezos Expeditions investment team is still an investor in Rethink, which earlier this month announced its second product, a $29,000, one-armed robot called Sawyer that can do precise tasks, such as testing circuit boards. The warehouse-focused Kiva Systems group has been on a hiring tear, and now employs more than 500 people, according to LinkedIn. In December, Amazon said that it had 15,000 of the squat orange Kiva robots moving around racks of merchandise in 10 of its 50 distribution centers. Greiner left iRo

A lot of charity is driven on pity. No one needs pity. A lot of people just need access to affordable capital to start or sustain businesses to support their families and their communities. And when I looked closely, the projects I lent money to through Kiva all made practical business sense.

Actually, the captain and I were just talking about the plight of the less advantaged,” Kiva said. “You?” Ghreni said, disbelieving. “One, fuck you, and two, yes.

A Bob Sacha le gusta trabajar de noche, cuando puede ver las cosas de manera distinta. Realizando un reportaje en Nuevo México para el artículo "Los primitivos astrónomos americanos", tomó una fotografía nocturna de la Casa Rinconada, una kiva anasazi en el Chaco Canyon. Sacha creyó que el mejor modo de plasmar la imagen de esta estructura circular -construida con la precisón del compás- era mediante una fotografía que mostrara los desplazamientos circulares de las estrellas sobre ella. Para conseguirla necesito una exposición de varias horas. Dispuso su cámara directamente en la puerta sur del edificio, y apuntó el objetivo ojo de pez hacia la puerta norte. Iluminó cada sección de los muros durante a penas un instante; para ello trabajó en noche sin luna, caminando al rededor del edificio y disparando el flash repetidas veces. Para iluminar los nichos encendió una vela en uno de ellos, contó hasta tres, y la apagó y avanzó hasta el siguiente e hizo lo mismo, con el obturador abierto todo el rato. "Con largas exposiciones como ésta, no tienes ni idea de lo que realmente está pasando" dice Sacha ". No puedes mirar a través de la lente.

You’re different from them, Kiva, the light to their darkness. Your magic is pure, your heart is true. I c-can sense it.

Kiva hated betraying his trust,

Why are you crying, Kiva?” "You have a tortured soul." "He hates that he fell in love with you." “Where’s Caldon?” “He’s d-dead.” "What?" Jaren said, his voice whip-sharp. "You would have what? Stopped her? You're a Corentine. The Jackal. The rebel general. Isn’t this what you wanted? Congratulations, you succeeded." "He's from a family of liars and murderers. Trust him all you want, but you'll only bring about your own ruin. Then you'll have no one to blame but yourself." "No one escapes Zalindov." A manic laugh slipped out. "Not even when they do." "You have been found guilty of crimes against humanity.

Jaren, it’s been far too long,” Queen Issa said, hurrying out from behind her desk and throwing her arms around him in a welcoming hug, prompting Kiva to fight an irrational surge of jealousy.

A hand was shaking Kiva, and she roused slowly, her mind fuzzy. It took her a moment to remember why she was lying on her stomach, why she’d even fallen asleep to begin with — no, not asleep. She’d been knocked unconscious by Brynn, the elemental anomaly who had not just earth magic, but air magic as well.

Kiva realized then: the Vallentis royals had been biding their time until Tipp wasn’t at risk of Navok’s blade, and now they had been unleashed. Even against an overwhelming number of opponents, they were a force to be reckoned with, having trained their whole lives for a magical battle like this, just like

Everything that had happened could be blamed on Kiva’s sister, who had partnered with Mirryn Vallentis to overthrow Evalon, the princess having been coerced by Mirraven’s King Navok to turn on her own family for the sake of her love for Navok’s sister, Serafine.

Kiva couldn’t take her eyes off the blood-soaked sand and the warrior with a dagger buried in her chest — Kiva’s dagger.

His voice was so hard toward the end that Kiva shivered, remembering that there was a reason he was the rebel general, and it wasn’t because of his friendly demeanor.

I know how it feels to be left with nothing but darkness,” Kiva went on, before offering a quiet, dangerous admission. “I know what it’s like to become that darkness, how consuming it is. It’s so much easier to hide in the night than to fight for the light.” Gods, did she know that. “I also know how tempting it is not to feel any of those things,” Kiva whispered. “To shut everyone out so you never have to experience that kind of agony again. I know, Cal. I know.” He uncrossed his arms, his eyes shining with the hint of tears.

My husband, your king, was once a commoner,” Queen Ariana said, her tone enough to make Kiva shiver. “You’re toeing a dangerous line, Grand Master. Have a care.

Kiva was both curious and alarmed by the question. Brynn had warned that Navok was known for his temper, but the idea of him being physically violent hadn’t crossed Kiva’s mind.

Kiva,” he whispered, moving closer. “I—” “Excuse me,” came Caldon’s loud voice from the entrance to the cavern, causing Kiva to jump backwards, “but did you not hear me say I’m starving?

I wish you all the best, Kiva Corentine. Your future is as bright as the stars.

It was never the rings, was it?” Kiva called to her, remembering the queen’s words — Sarana knew this might happen one day — along with the single flick of Ariana’s eyes, when her gaze had moved downward for the briefest of seconds. Toward the amulet.

Kiva pressed her lips together, irrationally annoyed that the cruel northern king looked like that.

It wasn’t from his bruises — it was from seeing her. Whatever he felt when he looked at her hurt him. Whether that was because of what her mother had done, or perhaps because of how much he missed his friend, there was no doubting the connection he shared with Tilda. Nor was there any doubting how much he longed to speak with Kiva.

Despite the emotional trauma of the night, it took all of Kiva’s willpower to keep from laughing at the guileless expression the redhead was attempting to pull off. “Eidran —” Ashlyn started. “Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” Cresta muttered, retying her own ropes.

Kiva wasn’t sure if Torell was even breathing, but she did see Ashlyn and Jaren staring at her brother, unable to hide their surprise. Caldon just looked smug, as if silently saying I told you so to his family.

I’m s-sorry!” he cried, tilting his tearstained face back to look at her through watery blue eyes. “I’m s-s-so sorry! J-Jaren said I should f-forgive you, that you d-didn’t have a choice and you o-only lied to protect me, but I was j-just so mad! And you n-nearly drowned thinking I h-hate you! I d-don’t! I don’t hate you, K-Kiva! I couldn’t n-never hate you! I l-love you! Please b-believe me!

Not everything. Not always. Sometimes you’re better off letting them go.” His sister. Kiva had nearly forgotten. But she doubted Ashlyn Vallentis supported Caldon’s decision to avoid her for the last three years. “And sometimes you need to hold on tight,

Instead of allowing dread to grip her, a choked laugh bubbled out of Kiva, the lightness of it surprising her after so long without any joy. And then Cresta was laughing with her, the two of them delirious from a combination of pain and fatigue, and merely from being once-enemies who were now locked in a tight, dark space together after having candidly shared their traumatic pasts.

You really c-care about her, don’t you?” Tipp asked later that night, when Kiva was feeding yet more samples to the rats. The young boy was trying to help, but was more of a hindrance than anything, preferring to play with the vermin than settle them.

Who are you?” Kiva demanded. Naari’s gaze was steady on hers. “I’m Jaren’s Golden Shield.” Golden Shield—the highest position of honor for a guard. For a Royal Guard.

I l-l-love you, K-Kiva,” Tipp kept whispering, his voice fading more, as if he’d only been holding on long enough to see her one last time. “Thank y-you . . . f-f-for everything.

Faran Meridan once impressed me, too.” Kiva stopped squirming in an instant. Healer Maddis’s wrinkles deepened as she smiled. “I knew whose daughter you were the moment you walked through the door.

The following day, Kiva and Naari set out to collect samples involving food storage and preparation.

You really c-care about her, don’t you?” Tipp asked later that night, when Kiva was feeding yet more samples to the rats. The young boy was trying to help, but was more of a hindrance than anything, preferring

Why are you helping me?” Kiva asked, the amulet all but burning beneath her blanket. “You said earlier that you don’t care what happens to me. I don’t—I don’t understand.” She swallowed, then made herself add, “If I live, so does Tilda. Why would you risk that?

Jaren was allocated work in the tunnels. It was Tipp who told Kiva; Tipp who had left the infirmary in a hurry upon Kiva’s return that night, hastening back to their shared cell block to make sure Jaren snagged a pallet next to his; Tipp who had whispered Zalindov’s secrets to the newcomer, all the warnings and hints that Kiva had failed to offer.

No, dear, you don’t understand,” Olisha said impatiently. She held Kiva’s eyes as she explained, “Tilda’s awake—and she’s lucid.

Who are you?” Kiva demanded. Naari’s gaze was steady on hers. “I’m Jaren’s Golden Shield.

My middle name is Jaren—that’s what my friends and family call me.” Pointedly, he said, “That’s what you call me, too.” “Not Prince Jaren?” Kiva asked. “No, just Jaren.” “What about Your Highness?” He pulled a face. “Definitely not.” “Your Grace?” “I’m not a duke.” “Your Excellency?” “Nor a lord.” “Your Majesty?” “Please stop.

Golden light poured from Kiva’s fingertips, seeping into Tipp’s chest, flooding along his torso, sealing his flesh, inch by painful inch. It was working—it was working. His heartbeat was growing stronger, beat after beat after beat.

He’s quite taken with you. Mirryn hadn’t been talking about the masked man from the gallows parading as a prince, the rogue who had flirted with Kiva in the infirmary. She’d been talking about her brother—her real brother—who had been wearing a dirty tunic and standing in the crowd. The same brother who had kept Kiva from falling to her death and then infused fire magic into his family’s crest, making Mirryn, his sister, deliver it.

Mother is dead. I’m on my way to Vallenia. It’s time to reclaim our kingdom. And as Kiva combed her fingers through Tipp’s hair, the boy still fast asleep on her lap, she glanced up to meet Jaren’s blue-gold eyes once more, his gaze impossibly soft. She smiled shyly back, offering no indication as to who he was leading to his city . . . who he was welcoming into his home. Kiva Meridan. Born as Kiva Corentine. The Rebel Queen may have perished at Zalindov, but her daughter was alive and well, and free of Zalindov after ten long years. The Rebel Princess was finally ready to rise.

And so, the healer and the guard worked side by side into the night, the balance of power between them blurring—and perhaps, as Kiva was beginning to realize, fading entirely.

It was only after Kiva’s imprisonment that she heard their queen had come out of hiding and was now leading their cause, seeking one thing: vengeance. Not justice, not a chance to debate why the crown belonged to her. No, the Rebel Queen wanted revenge for all that had been taken from her. For all that she’d lost. For the kingdom and its power that should have been hers at birth.

I’ve always rooted for the underdog,” Mirryn said, almost musingly. “And you, Kiva Meridan, are the biggest underdog I’ve ever seen.

I’m the prison healer,” Kiva answered. “That’s not your name.” He waited a beat, then offered, “I’m Jaren.” “You’re not,” she returned, looking away from him. “You’re D24L103.

Kiva nodded, recognizing the similarities with her own magic—the forbidden healing power in her veins, a mark of the Corentine bloodline.

Caldon might have been an incorrigible flirt, but something Kiva had learned in the last six weeks was that he wasn’t a spoiled prince who sat around playing courtier all day—even if, for reasons she’d yet to uncover, he made it so people believed that was true.

The Queen of Evalon was supposed to be haughty and cold, vicious and unforgiving. She was the face in Kiva’s nightmares, the person responsible for all of her family’s suffering.

Senia Fundapellonan was not wrong about Kiva; Kiva was extremely self-interested. Senia thought that was neither good nor bad, but Kiva was of a different mind about that. She thought it was pretty much the only way to be in a universe that didn’t care about anyone’s life one way or another, and in a civilization that was designed to keep the rich as rich as possible and the poor from actively starving so they wouldn’t think to rise up and behead the rich. An uncaring universe and a fundamentally static civilization would smother anyone who didn’t keep themselves and their own concerns front and center.

Consider that, since 2005, the online platform Kiva has already been crowdfunding micro loans to entrepreneurs in many developing countries around the world. By early 2021, it had arranged about $1.5 billion in loans from nearly two million lenders (who can put up as little as $25) to about four million borrowers in seventy-seven countries. The total value of loans is small, but Kiva’s screening and monitoring technologies are not automated and seem antiquated compared with those of newer Fintech lending platforms, which have far greater potential for such matching of borrowers and lenders.

Be as that may," the queen said quietly, "there's someone perfect out there for you, my beautiful daughter. I promise you that." Mirryn looked away, but not before Kiva saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. "I know," she whispered. "And now I've lost her.

But he seems so..." Kiva searched for the right word, before setting on, "Carefree" Jaren said nothing for a long moment, watching his cousin spar with Naari. “Sometimes the people who act like they don’t care are really the ones who care the most. They feel so much that it overwhelms them, and to keep from falling apart, they hide behind easy smiles and quick laughter, acting like nothing matters. It’s a defense mechanism, a way to protect themselves from the world. A way to keep from getting hurt.