Paedyn And Kai Quotes

I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I'll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you'll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it.

Tell me you hate me, and I'll still count every heartbeat, every freckle, every shiver of your body, if only you say it with a smile.

Do you always fall into the arms of handsome strangers or is this a new thing for you?" "No, only the cocky ones.

You don't need a blade. I would bleed if only you asked.

She is the torture I may not survive. Eagerly, she is my undoing. Her gaze lifts, meeting eyes that are not my own. Eyes of the man who gets to have her-if she allows it. She was supposed to be my forever. Now I'll watch her become someone else's. Because the beast doesn't get the beauty.

Maybe you really are a poet," I whisper. He smiles softly. "Only a fool for you." "Pretend?" My voice is small, soft like the breeze blowing through my short hair. "Never." "None of it?" I ask quietly. "Darling"-he smiles- "I have never had to pretend to want you.

No, I'm sick of running. And I won't spend the rest of my life doing it unless it's you I'm running back to." "Then I'll spend the rest of my life tracking you down," he says quietly. "Glimpsing you in shadows. Fighting you in the streets. Dancing with you in my dreams. Because living without you is only bearable when I know you are out there still living too.

Mark my words, Prince. I will be your undoing." "Oh Darling, I look forward to it.

You asked me what my favorite color was once. I'd never even pondered the answer to that question before you. And yet, I realized in that moment that it was blue." He bends to brush a kiss to my temple, a murmur against my skin. "It is your eyes.

So in the wise words of Adena, this is simply a good way to say goodbye until....whatever the hell." "Until whatever the hell." Paedyn repeats with a nod.

A forget-me-not, since you always seem to be forgetting who I am.

You don't regret it?" She shakes her head, her smile sad, "No." "Good," I murmur. "Because I've always had a thing for short hair." "Oh, really?" She laughs as I sway us in a circle. "It's true. Among other things, of course." I shrug a shoulder. "Short hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Twenty-eight freckles. And"- I pause, examining her with a tilt of my head-"how tall are you?" She blinks in confusion. "Umm, about five and a half feet?" "Five and a half feet," I continue evenly. "The terrifying ability to kick a man's ass. Stunning smile. Ridiculously stubborn. Hair like molten silver. Quick to threaten me with a dagger." I smile down at her. "Should I go on?

Everything beautiful, everything bold, everything breathtaking- that is what I feel in her gaze. That, and terrified. Terrified of what she is doing to me. She is a vision, a nightmare, a dream. A grim reaper clad in black, come to steal my soul and my heart. I've never seen something so beautiful, so bold, so blatantly wrong for me. She is a devil. She is a deity. She is a man's downfall in human form. She is my downfall. Then her eyes drift to Kitt. The connection snaps. And I'm left feeling empty besides the jealousy growing inside me. Why did I ever think I could have ever, ever think she would have me? Because beasts don't get the beauty.

I wanted to kill you," I whisper, forcing his eyes to open. "I wanted to be your undoing. But even then, I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had." He inches toward me, head shaking and eyes roaming as though overwhelmed by what he is seeing. "Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. my downfall disguised as a deity." Another slow step. "You are my ruin.

Walking on a sharp blade and hoping I don't get cut. Playing with fire and hoping I don't get burned. Swimming in a dangerous current and hoping I don't drown.

My pretty Pae, what have you done to me?

And just like that, I’ve picked which pretty prince to root for. Because it’s Kai who is destined for Paedyn, no matter how tragic their story. No matter the opposite roles they play in this life. But maybe things will be different in the next.

I wanted her to be formidable. Recklessly bold. Powerful despite ability." I stare at him, taking in each word. "I am none of those things," I whisper. He drops my hand to brush gentle fingers beneath my chin, raising my face up towards his. "You are much more than those things." "You overestimate me." "No. I just see you.

She's bewildering as much as she is beguiling. That pretty mouth of hers says one thing, but those ocean eyes say another. She pulls a knife from my back only to say she'll bury another one there. She's confusing, captivating, and we're completely wrong for each other in all the right ways. She's a flame, and I'm going to get burned. An ocean and I'm going to drown.

Every touch, every dance, every kiss disguised as a distraction was anything but. Because before I loved her, I longed for her. She was a want I wasn't worthy of. And I'm afraid I'll never get the chance to deserve her. Because now that I have her, I'm giving her away.

It's strange," he says quietly, his eyes scanning the crowded garden. "I haven't known her for long, and yet, I find myself wanting to know her for longer.

You're not just a mission to me. You're not just another enemy for me to find. You're something even more terrifying." Her voice is little more than a whisper. "And what is that?" "A need." We stare at each other, both surprised by the words that pushed their way past my lips. Sunlight is streaming through her hair, making her glow like something far too heavenly for me. "I thought you had found your courage," she says softly. I smile slightly. "Maybe I'm fine with being a fool. So long as it's for you.

And what was your title again? The Silver Saviour?" "Fitting. I know how much you like silvers.

The setting sun drips with golden rays across her face, blue eyes burning bright against the vibrant red of each poppy. It's hard to believe that something so beautiful would willing stare at the likes of me. I feel undeserving of her gaze, of the way her eyes roam over my face. I shake my head, still staring down at her. "Don't look at me like that." "Like what?" she asks softly. "Like I'm worthy of being seen.

Forget-me-nots because you always seem to be forgetting who I am." "You're the king of Ilya." "And who am I to you?" "My fool." "Don't forget 'cocky bastard'" "You wouldn't let me, even if I tried." "And you are forever my undoing, Paedyn Gray. Marry me, Pae. I'm already on one knee, but I'll get down on both and beg for you, if you like.

Pretend," I whisper against his lips. I am recklessness incarnate. Until the very end. My mouth meets his. He tastes like longing. Like regret and relief. Like nothing matters but this moment. It's fervent, like a sinner's prayer. And maybe that is what this kiss is. Repentance.

At least you kept your promise. You stayed alive long enough to stab me in the back." He laughs bitterly, remembering the attack after the first ball when I tended to his wound. "And now I promise to return the favor." His voice strains with emotion. "Run, Paedyn. Because when I catch you, I will not miss. I will not falter. I will not make the mistake of feeling for you.

I'd be a fool to not fear something so fierce." I swallow. "And are you not? A fool, that is." He stands then, holding my gaze until he's the one looking down on me. "Not anymore.

I would spend the rest of my days making her flower crowns if she wanted to be a queen. My queen. Not Kitt's. Not Ilya's. Mine

Are poets not just fools with fancy words?

Do you always fall into the arms of handsome strangers, or is this a new thing for you?

Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just… Just call me yours.

And let's pray they don't." I stuff the reins in his hands, suddenly too curious to steer. "I didn't peg you as the type to pray, Prince." I feel his shoulders shrug against my back. "I didn't used to believe in a God." "And now?" There is a long pause followed by a softening of his voice. "I found proof of a paradise." I glance over my shoulder to find his eyes already on me. "And what was that?" His gaze glides over my face and down the length of my braid. "You'll know when you see it.

My eyes lift to his, and whatever it is he sees within them has the Enforcer looking at me as though I've already become his queen. And some possessive part of myself aches to command him to never look away.

Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just…' His eyes are pleading, brimming with emotion. 'Just call me yours.

Are you completely unaware of how devastating you are?" Kai chuckles darkly. "You don't need a blade. I would bleed if you only asked." "Then I wouldn't ask," I retort sternly. "No, you wouldn't." He steps out into the hall, tossing his next damning sentence over a shoulder. "As my queen, you would command it

Will you forever be the prize I am aimlessly trying to win" "Is that all I am to you? A trophy?" "Oh, darling, a trophy implies that I won it, earned it, deserve it." He leans in farther, a certain reverence in his gaze. "But if I get to have you, it will be because you let me.

I would spend the rest of my days making her flower crowns if she wanted to be a queen. My queen. Not Kitt's. Not Ilya's. Mine.

But his tone is familiar, feeling like dancing in a dark room and thumb wars under willow trees. The way the words rolled off of his tongue felt like a light flick to the tip of my nose, like calloused fingers braiding silver hair. It felt like Kai. Like the man behind the masks who looked at me like I was extraordinary. I blink at the crumbling rocks crowding the path, willing my mind to wander toward anything but the words that have me wishing things were different. But I am Ordinary. I am the embodiment of the weakness he has been taught to hate. Ordinary.

It's as though she is whole again in my arms, reunited with the ghost of her father and held in the arms of her Enforcer. And when she kisses me, long and fierce, I realize how happily I'd live the rest of my life at the end of a blade. So long as she is the one holding it.

Run, Paedyn. Because when I catch you, I will not miss. I will not falter. I will not make the mistake of feeling for you.

I like a challenge. But she made it abundantly clean on what she wishes us to be: competition. Enemies. And more importantly, why isn't that what I want as well?

There's that anger again, washing over me in waves. Because she was meant to be the death of me, not the life of another. It was her I was meant to adore in this world and crawl to in the one after. But now she's tethered to a king, and I am nothing more than her killer.

Pretend?" "Never." "None of it? "Darling, I have never had to pretend to want you.

I don't want to stain your soul further.' His smile is sad. 'There's not much left to stain, darling.

Because the beast doesn't get the beauty.

We eye each other, and for the first time since setting that crown atop his head, I think we might just understand each other. Because suddenly, I see myself in him again. Paedyn is not a right or a wrong, not something as simple as a yes or a no. She is confusion itself, a feeling unplaced, a color between black and white. Hell, she is my Silver Savior. And hating her is not as simple as it may seem. But for me, it is not loving her that has proven to be difficult.

It’s just you and me. Under the willow.

Darling”—he smiles—“I have never had to pretend to want you.

Oh my pretty Pae, what have you done to me?

What do you want to call me?” “I want to call you mine.

You promised to be my undoing. So, prove it. Prove it. Hate me enough to make me want you. Ruin me.

And then she smiles, bright and big like the night sky hanging above us. I fear she could rival the stars.

But you got out. You got the crown. And then you cracked it against a man's skull.'" ... 'Well, I didn't enjoy it.' 'I know,' His gaze softens. 'I wish I could have done it for you.

I will show you my bravery, my benevolence, my brutality. I will survive these Trials and so much more. Still, you will likely hate me." She lifts her chin, expression deceitfully calm. "So bow at my feet with a sneer, if you must. I won't see it with your face to the ground.

He inches towards me, head shaking and eyes roaming as though overwhelmed by what he is seeing. "Oh, bu you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity". Anther slow step. "You are my ruin." I'm dazed, unable to do anything but let a smile tug at my lips. "Call us even. Call me crazy. I don't care. Just..." His eyes are pleading, brimming with emotion. "Just call me yours.

Focus on the dimples you try to convince yourself you hate, even though I know you look for them every time I smile.

Oh, darling, as long as you still think I’m pretty, I don’t give a damn what I look like.

Good. Because I've always had a thing for short hair." "Oh, really?" "It's true. Among other things, of course. Short hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Twenty-eight freckles.

You asked me what my favorite color was once. I'd never even pondered the answer to that question before you. And yet, I realized in that moment that it was blue. It is your eyes.

You are my forever.” Shadow and Flame. Formidably inevitable. “Forever my undoing.

So bow at my feet with a sneer, if you must. I won’t see it with your face to the ground.

You shouldn't be doing this. We are supposed to keep our distance. Now more than ever.' 'Yes...Which is why I'm selfishly stealing this moment.

Remind me to make you smile like that again, when you aren't dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorize it.

I'm panting, heart pounding at the sight of its other half. Kai looks up at me, hands resting behind a head of black waves-I nearly fall to my knees before him. He has always been a prince, always a puppet for power or instrument of Death. But just as constant and formidably fierce, he has always been my home. In search of my comfort, it is him I crawl back to. Peace is the place he resides, and passion is a word I only understand when I look into his eyes. He is the freedom I cannot grasp. We are inevitable. We are tragedy.

Everything beautiful, everything bold, everything breathtaking - that is what I feel in her gaze. That, and terrified. Terrified of what she is doing to me. She is a vision, a nightmare, a dream. A grim reaper clad in black, come to steal my soul and my heart. I've never seen something so beautiful, so bold, so blatantly wrong for me. She is a devil. She is a deity. She's a man's downfall in human form. She is my downfall. Then her eyes drift to Kitt. The connection snaps. And I'm left feeling empty besides the jealousy growing inside me. Why did I ever think I could have her, ever think she would have me? Because beasts don't get the beauty.

I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I'll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you'll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it.

I need you to find something else worth losing yourself to. I won't let my impending death be yours as well.' I press my forehead to his, voice breaking as I say, 'Promise me that. Please.' 'Pae.' His voice is ragged. 'I would lose my life for you before finding something else worth living for.' His fingers weave into my hair, slide along the back of my neck. 'You are my inevitable. In life and in death.

Oh? And what else are you when you’re around me, hmm?” She has me swallowing, has me nervous. “I’m a fool.” The smile she gives me is equally amused and alluring. “Only when you’re around me?” “Only for you.

Still contemplating on drowning you, actually." My voice is breathy, my own fingers wandering over the curve of his jaw. "Oh darling, I already am." His lips inch closer to mine, teasing me. "And I'm begging you to let me breath you in." I smile slyly. "I thought you never begged?" "I'm getting used to it when it comes to you.

My fingers find his free hand. 'I don't want to gain power if it means I lose myself in the process.' He wipes the cloth down my nose, freeing it of blood before flicking the tip with his finger. 'Everyone loses themselves to something. So make it worthwhile.

Does it ever get easier? The bad that supposedly justifies the hope of something good?' 'It hasn't yet,' he says with a sigh. 'But your bad will belong to me when I become your enforcer. And maybe then, when I know you are reaping the good, things will get easier.

Don’t look at me like that.” “Like what?” She asked softly. “Like I’m worthy of being seen.

I think I would fall on my sword if it meant you mourned me. And it’s terrifying to think you hold that much power over me.

Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just...” His eyes are pleading, brimming with emotion. “Just call me yours.

I thought I'd known torment until it wrapped around her finger. No, torment is tangible, and it gleams atop her tanned skin. I stare, unblinking, at the symbol my brother slid onto her finger. It is binding. It is infinite. It is my undoing. A laugh threatens to slip past my numb lips. It's not as though she hadn't promised to be my ruin, hadn't already become my demise. She is the single most destructive thing I have ever desired, and yet, it is the diamond on her finger that will destroy me. I watch Paedyn through the gaps of a gawking crowd, just as I will for the rest of my life. I'll be forced to spend my days at her service but never at her side. In her shadow but never truly seen. In love with a girl I'd have bowed to long before she became my queen.

I know how you refuse to thank the Plague. It is understandable, admirable, even, how valiantly you despise the thing that made your survival so difficult. But I do thank the Plague. I whisper my gratitude for it when you are sound asleep in my arms, when your fingers flick the tip of my nose. In the quiet moments, I thank the Plague for you. If it weren't for the dividing of Ordinaries and Elites so many years ago, I would have never found my way to you. My coins are always at risk in your presence, but no saving of my life would have been necessary that day. No Silencers. No Purging Trials. No stolen moments under the willow. When I thank the Plague, it is not for the power it has gifted me, but for the privilege of you. Nothing makes me stronger than the weakness that is you, Paedyn Gray. And if, in the next lifetime, you choose to steal from me again, I would happily give you all my soul if it meant a place besides yours. But until then, I will watch you become another's reason to thank the Plague. You, Pae, are my inevitable. (I love you.)

What about striding across the throne room? Seeing the looks on all those faces when you put that crown on your head?...Did you enjoy that?' ... 'I didn't mind it.' ... 'Come on, don't be modest, Gray.' 'Fine. Powerful. It made me feel powerful.' 'Good. Focus on that feeling. Not what it took to get it.

I wanted her to be formidable. Recklessly bold. Powerful despite ability." I stare at him, taking in each word. "I am none of those things," I whisper. He drops my hand to brush gentle fingers beneath my chin, raising my face up towards his. "You are much more than those things." "You overestimate me." "No. I just see you.

I stare at them, and they stare at me. And then I smile, sad and slow. "I'm not afraid of myself anymore", I whisper. That girl - that haunted, weak girl begging for help, for love - is me. Without her, I wouldn't be who I am today. I'm still haunted, maybe even still hoping for love, but I am no longer weak because of it.

Will you forever be the prize I am aimlessly trying to win" “Is that all I am to you? A trophy?" “Oh, darling, a trophy implies that I won it, earned it, deserve it. But if i get to have you, it will be because you let me.

Oh, and Kai?" she calls, her voice casual. And then I'm ducking. She spun, throwing the knife so suddenly that I barely had time to dodge it before it sank into the wooden target a few feet behind me. "I don't want your mercy. Next time we fight," I can see her blue eyes smoldering from where I stand, "impress me." A low whistle sounds from the crowd-Kitt, of course. Ignoring him, I shake my head, grinning at her as she turns away from me. Vicious little thing, indeed.

Everything beautiful, everything bold, everything breathtaking - that is what I feel in her gaze. That, and terrified. Terrified of what she is doing to me. She is a vision, a nightmare, a dream. A grim reaper clad in black, come to steal my soul and my heart. I've never seen something so beautiful, so bold, so blatantly wrong for me. She is a devil. She is a deity. She's a man's downfall in human form. She is my downfall. Then her eyes drift to Kitt. The connection snaps. And I'm left feeling empty besides the jealousy growing inside me. Why did I ever think I could have her, ever think she would have me? Because beasts don't get the beauty.

My gaze flicks to the black coat he is still holding above my head to shield me from the rain. "..You do know I'm already soaked, right?" "Yes, well." He sighs and ducks his head so we are eye to eye. "As adorable as you looked blinking up at me in the rain, I want you to see me clearly when I tell you this." There goes that stupid flutter in my chest. "I meant what I said. I can't take my eyes off you. I can't take my mind off you." I look away from his burning gaze, shaking my head as I mutter, "Kai, I-" "Paedyn." I still. I shiver. He says my name like it's sacred, like it's an oath he's swearing. He tilts his head to the side, eyes roaming over my face. "Tell me." he murmurs, "what do you want me to call you?" My eyes slowly meet his, confused by his question. "What do you want to call me?" "I want to call you mine." We stare at each other. Both of us breathing hard, both of us taking int he other. The rain is still splattering Kai, clinging to his thick lashes and dripping from his jaw. "I know you feel it too," he says quietly. "Feel what?" "Feel alive. Feel on fire. Feel." There is an intensity in his eyes, his voice, that makes my heart race even faster. He looks away, cursing under his breath before his gaze crashes back into mine. "Pae, when I look at you...I'm devastated. I'm drowning. I'm dying to catch my breath.

I thought I'd known torment until it wrapped around her finger. No, torment is tangible, and it gleams atop her tanned skin. I stare, unblinking, at the symbol my brother slid onto her finger. It is binding. It is infinite. It is my undoing. A laugh threatens to slip past my numb lips. It's not as though she hadn't promised to be my ruin, hadn't already become my demise. She is the single most destructive thing I have ever desired, and yet, it is the diamond on her finger that will destroy me. I watch Paedyn through the gaps of a gawking crowd, just as I will for the rest of my life. I'll be forced to spend my days at her service but never at her side. In her shadow but never truly seen. In love with a girl I'd have bowed to long before she became my queen.

And there she is. She steps out of her room with her head down, quietly shutting the door before looking up and practically jumping at the sight of me. "Plagues, Kai, don't scare me like that!" I blink. It's the first time she's called me by my name, and I realize then that I could get used to the sound of it rolling off her tongue.

You're not just a mission to me. You're not just another enemy for me to find. You're something even more terrifying." Her voice is little more than a whisper. "And what is that?" "A need." We stare at each other, both surprised by the words that pushed their way past my lips. Sunlight is streaming through her hair, making her glow like something far too heavenly for me. "I thought you had found your courage," she says softly. I smile slightly. "Maybe I'm fine with being a fool. So long as it's for you.

Me and my cold feet could always just sleep over there. Alone.” “Like hell I’m letting you sleep alone,” I mutter. And then I’m shaking my head, wrapping an arm around her legs, and pulling them against me. She looks at me, shocked. And then she smiles, bright and big like the night sky hanging above us. I fear she could rival the stars.

I let out a low laugh. "Oh, 'sweet' isn't the word I would use to describe her, Gail. She held a knife to my throat only a few days ago." "He deserved it," Paedyn says simply, shrugging slightly. "Oh, I'm sure he did," Gail replies, grinning at her. "I probably would have done the same." She glances at me, nodding toward Paedyn. "I like this one.

She slips a hand into one of the many pockets of her vest before shouting through the rumbling thunder. "You're not the only one who brought a gift." I track the movement, blinking in the rain as she pulls a stem of forget-me-nots from the soaked fabric. Paedyn Azer's smile is dangerous as she reaches up to tuck the flowers behind my ear. "So you don't forget who I am," she whispers against my lips. "And what am I?" I trace my thumb along her bottom lip. "A fool. A cocky bastard?" Her voice is steady. "You are mine, Malakai.

I show her my palms, surrendering before the fight has even begun. "You don't really want this and neither do I. Especially because I wouldn't want to mess up that pretty face of yours, darling." She all but rolls her eyes at me. "That's funny because I won't hesitate to mess up your pretty face." I smirk. "I knew you thought I was pretty." At that, she throws another punch at my face that I easily evade. We continue circling each other, slowly. Damp hair clings to my forehead and I comb my fingers through it, pushing it off my sticky skin. "You do know that I have eight powers at my disposal right now and any one of them could drop you." I grin as I say it, watching her eyes narrow. "I don't want to fight your power-I want to fight you. Just you." Her piercing gaze never leaves mine as she says it, even as the other Elites turn their attention toward us, finding this fight far more interesting than their training. "So, you just want me? No powers?" "Yes, I just want you," she breathes, annoyed with me. My mouth twists into a crooked grin. "I knew you wanted me, Gray.

And you think that's worth it? Losing yourself to an Ordinary?' ... 'Between the two of us, you're the only one who seems to care about that fact.' ... 'Of course I care.' My voice is rough, raw with emotion. 'I'm weak. I nearly died today and-' I place a hand to his cheek, turning his face towards me. 'Look at me, Kai. Look at what you chose to lose yourself to. I may have seemed strong in that throne room, but I always will be an impostor among the truly powerful.' He's shaking his head, hiding his gaze from me. Both of my hands are cupping his face now. 'I worry about you Malakai.' The sound of his full name has those gray eyes fluttering closed. 'If I die----' 'Stop.' 'If I die,' I repeat sternly, 'I need you to find something else worth losing yourself to. I won't let my impending death be yours as well.' I press my forehead to his, voice breaking as I say, 'Promise me that. Please.' 'Pae.' His voice is ragged. 'I would lose my life for you before finding something else worth living for.' His fingers weave into my hair, slide along the back of my neck. 'You are my inevitable. In life and in death.

I am no Elite. And that is all you see when looking at me-everything I am not. So let me tell you what I am." She takes a deep breath, the scar above her heart rising and falling. "I am power earned, not gifted. I became one of you. Observant enough to pose as a Psychic, strong enough to survive your Trials. Over and over, I have proved myself worthy of your loyalty. "But I have faced far worse things than my own powerlessness." She lifts an arm, running fingers over the scar beneath her collarbone. "I once wore this carving with shame, but now it is proof of my survival. No ability could have withstood what I alone have." A smile touches her lips. "A king left his mark upon my heart, and now, I will leave mine across his kingdom." I've never seen something so beautiful, so bold, so blatantly right for me, for this kingdom, this hope of a united Ilya. And I fear I may forever be in awe of her. Looking at Paedyn Gray, I see a reckless sort of fearlessness, a power that swells from her vibrant soul. "The Plague runs through my blood, same as yours." Paedyn's voice is clear, carrying over the silent throne room. "But it did not bless me with strength, I took it." Stepping to the edge of the dais, she lets her gaze wander over the crowd. "I am Ordinary. Elite. A power of my choosing. And I will be your queen-all that I am and fiercely what I am not.

Do you wish it was you?" He blinks, dark lashes fluttering. "Do you wish you were the future king of Ilya? The heir?" It's not at all the question I thought I would be asking, but here we are. "No," he states simply, holding my gaze. I raise my brows in a silent question. When he doesn't continue, I say, "That's it? 'No'?" "You got your answer, and I got my dance. That was the deal, darling.

The setting sun drips with golden rays across her face, blue eyes burning bright against the vibrant red of each poppy. It's hard to believe that something so beautiful would willing stare at the likes of me. I feel undeserving of her gaze, of the way her eyes roam over my face. I shake my head, still staring down at her. "Don't look at me like that." "Like what?" she asks softly. "Like I'm worthy of being seen

Everyone loses themselves to something. So make it worthwhile.' " ' And what did you lose yourself to?' ... 'Duty. Loyalty.' His lips quirk. 'A silver-haired pain in the ass.' 'And you think that's worth it? Losing yourself to an Ordinary?' ... 'Between the two of us, you're the only one who seems to care about that fact.' ... 'Of course I care.' My voice is rough, raw with emotion. 'I'm weak. I nearly died today and-' I place a hand to his cheek, turning his face towards me. 'Look at me, Kai. Look at what you chose to lose yourself to. I may have seemed strong in that throne room, but I always will be an impostor among the truly powerful.' He's shaking his head, hiding his gaze from me. Both of my hands are cupping his face now. 'I worry about you Malakai.' The sound of his full name has those gray eyes fluttering closed. 'If I die----' 'Stop.' 'If I die,' I repeat sternly, 'I need you to find something else worth losing yourself to. I won't let my impending death be yours as well.' I press my forehead to his, voice breaking as I say, 'Promise me that. Please.' 'Pae.' His voice is ragged. 'I would lose my life for you before finding something else worth living for.' His fingers weave into my hair, slide along the back of my neck. 'You are my inevitable. In life and in death.

I'm swept from my thoughts when Kai spins me and my eyes dart to his without my permission. Mistake. His midnight hair falls over his forehead in messy, silky waves. Smoky gray eyes meet mine, captivating, chilling. His set jaw loosens, pulling his lips into a cocky grin as he watches me take him in. Dimples. Both of them mocking me. "Like what you see, Gray?" he croons, knowing that will get a rise out of me. I huff, looking away from him to fight the flush that's finding its way to my cheeks. Rough fingers glide from my back to catch my chin, gently guiding my face back to his as he mutters, "By all means, carry on. I'll never deny myself the chance of watching you watch me." "And why is that?" I ask with a nonchalance I don't feel. His smile is wicked. "Because it is far more fun to admire you when the action is mutual.

His voice is lower than before when he says, "You're a vision." "She is, isn't she?" My heart skips a beat. The voice coming from over my shoulder is so cold I nearly shiver. Kai brushes my arm as he steps around me, facing the stunned boy still clutching me to him. "I'll be stealing her now," Kai says simply,... He feels too familiar. We fit together perfectly, pieces of a puzzle snapping into place. I shouldn't let myself relax into his touch. Shouldn't let the tension ease from my body when he holds me. But I can do nothing to stop it. Utterly and completely powerless. His palm is flat and firm against my exposed back, calluses brushing my flushed skin. "You looked like you needed saving," Kai says, and I catch a glimpse of his smirk before he spins me. "For once," I sigh, "I'm going to have to agree with you." "I'm sure I could think of other things we agree on." "Oh really? And what would those things be?" "That he was right," Kai says softly. "You are a vision. I'm sure we can both agree on that.

I jump off the counter and give Gail a peck on the cheek. "Don't miss me too much." Then, I turn toward Paedyn, who's leaning casually against the counter, a small smile tugging at her lips. I take a slow step toward her. Her head tips up to look me in the eyes as I close the distance between us, so close I can smell the lingering scent of lavender on her skin. I reach around her back, fingers brushing her tank. Her breath hitches and I feel my lips tug upward. When she opens her mouth to tell me off, I pull my hand back slowly, holding an apple in front of her face. "Always feeding you, remember?" She stares at the fruit before snatching it from my hand, huffing in annoyance. And then, she smiles, the dazzling action lighting up her face as she rubs the apple on my shirt, right above my heart. She takes a bite, her eyes locked with mine. "And you said you weren't a gentleman.

It's stiff, the fabric hugging my hips, making it impossible to move freely. "Go on." It's Kai's taunting voice I hear behind me. "Ask for my help, Gray." I roll my eyes at the wall in front of me. "Stubborn, remember?" I hear Kitt's chuckle before I feel hands brushing my legs. Startled, I look down, eyes landing on a bent head of messy black waves. Kai is gripping the bottom seam of my dress, his eyes flicking up to mine. "May I?" His voice is soft, tone amused. I swallow, roll my eyes once again, and nod against my better judgment. And then he's ripping my dress. He tears the fabric easily, creating a slit up the side of my thigh, freeing me from the tight confines of the fabric. His rough fingers briefly brush my skin as he says, "I am more than willing to rip your dresses for you, Gray. To help, of course." Kitt snorts while Kai smirks. "You only need to ask." "Why ask when you're so eager to offer?" Kai's laughter follows me as I finally pull myself up, arms burning with the strain.