“
To my surprise, Nick reached under his shirt and pulled out the half-heart pendant. With his gaze fixed on mine, he slid the chain over my head. “No one should have to go through life with only half a heart,” he whispered.
”
”
Katherine Allred (The Sweet Gum Tree)
“
I imagined the lies the valedictorian was telling them right now. About the exciting future that lies ahead. I wish she'd tell them the truth: Half of you have gone as far in life as you're ever going to. Look around. It's all downhill from here. The rest of us will go a bit further, a steady job, a trip to Hawaii, or a move to Phoenix, Arizona, but out of fifteen hundred how many will do anything truly worthwhile, write a play, paint a painting that will hang in a gallery, find a cure for herpes? Two of us, maybe three? And how many will find true love? About the same. And enlightenment? Maybe one. The rest of us will make compromises, find excuses, someone or something to blame, and hold that over our hearts like a pendant on a chain.
”
”
Janet Fitch (White Oleander)
“
He reached across and fingered the pendant; I felt it move against my skin. "Willow, look," He said. "We haven't talked much about what might happen, but...you know that I always want to be with you, right? I mean--no matter what."
And I had known it; I felt it every time he held me--but even so, actually hearing the words made my heart catch. "I want that, too," I said. "Always, Alex.
”
”
L.A. Weatherly (Angel (Angel, #1))
“
Carefully she took hold of the chain dangling from it, the jade pendant he had given her so long ago. The inscription on the back still gleamed as if new:
When two people are at one in their most inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
"You remember, that you left it with me?" she said. "I've never taken it off."
He closed his eyes. His lashes lay against his cheeks, long and fine. "All these years," he said, and his voice was a low whisper, and it was not the voice of the boy he had been once, but it was still a voice she loved. "All these years, you wore it? I never knew.
”
”
Cassandra Clare (Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3))
“
Mon cœur entier pendant ma vie entière.
My whole heart for my entire life.
”
”
Leslye Walton (The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender)
“
I think Bob appreciated my outfit. He made me buy the more expensive pendant. You might think that was to my disadvantage, but I accept that status comes with a price.”
“Not usually so immediately.” I shake my head. “You better not be hitting on federal agent ladies. They’ll arrest you.”
His grin widens. “I like handcuffs.”
I groan. “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
“Nothing that a night being worked over by a hot representative of justice couldn’t fix.
”
”
Holly Black (Black Heart (Curse Workers, #3))
“
And, Legolas, when the torches are kindled and men walk on the sandy floors under the echoing domes, ah! Then, Legolas, gems and crystals and veins of precious ore glint in the polished walls; and the light glows through folded marbles, shell-like, translucent as the living hands of Queen Galadriel. There are columns of white and saffron and dawn-rose, Legolas, fluted and twisted into dreamlike forms; they spring up from many-coloured floors to meet the glistening pendants of the roof: wings, ropes, curtains fine as frozen clouds; spears, banners, pinnacles of suspended palaces! Still lakes mirror them: a glimmering world looks up from dark pools covered with clear glass; cities, such as the mind of Durin could scarce have imagined in his sleep, stretch on through avenues and pillared courts, on into the dark recesses where no light can come, And plink! A silver drop falls, and the round wrinkles in the glass make all the towers bend and waver like weeds and corals in a grotto of the sea. Then evening comes:” they fade and twinkle out; the torches pass on into another chamber and another dream. There is chamber after chamber, Legolas; hall opening out of hall, dome after dome, stair beyond stair; and still the winding paths lead on into the mountains’ heart. Caves! The Caverns of Helm’s Deep! Happy was the chance that drove me there! It makes me weep to leave them.
”
”
J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings (Middle Earth, #2-4))
“
After a while I noticed that the pendant heart-shaped I wore around my neck, as every angel does, had begun to pulsate with blue light. I knew that this was thanks to Raphael and that he was sending healing energy for Joshua. I took my necklace off and gently put it round his neck so as not to wake him. The blue light grew stronger and started to flicker – then, drawing circles on the sick boy’s skin, it vanished around the level of his heart chakras. As blue light pervaded his entire body from head to toe, I could feel his burning skin slowly cool and his breathing became even.
”
”
A.O. Esther (Elveszett lelkek (Összetört glóriák, #1))
“
The rest of us will make compromises, find excuses, someone or something to blame, and hold that over our hearts like a pendant on a chain. I
”
”
Janet Fitch (White Oleander)
“
Happy anniversary, Corabelle.” “Happy anniversary,” I whisper back, the tears already threatening to spill. I reach for my locket with my free hand, fisting the heart pendant between my fingers as my other hand clings to my husband. And on the count of three, we rush into the ocean, tears mixing with laughter, love swelling higher than the tide, and we jump into the water. Together.
”
”
Jennifer Hartmann (Still Beating)
“
Up rose the scent of green-apple shampoo. Of river stones once the flood has gone. The taste of winter sky laced with sulfur fumes. A kiss beneath a white-hearted tree. A hot still day holding its breath.
We removed the contents one by one.
There were two blue plastic hair combs. A tough girl's black rubber-band bracelet. A newspaper advertisement for a secretarial school folded in half. A blond braid wrapped in gladwrap. A silver necklace with a half-a-broken-heart pendant. An address, written in a leftward-slanting hand, on a scrap of paper. Ballet shoes wrapped in laces.
From the box came the sound of bicycle tires humming on hot pavement. Of bare feet running through crackling grass. Of frantic fingers unstitching an embroidered flower. Of paper wings rising on a sudden wind. Of the lake breathing against the shore.
I didn't say anything. I kept very still.
”
”
Karen Foxlee (The Anatomy of Wings)
“
The Great Commandment.* 4d Hear, O Israel!* The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! 5Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.e 6f Take to heart these words which I command you today.g 7Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.h 8Bind them on your arm as a sign* and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.i 9Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.j
”
”
Anonymous (The New American Bible, Revised Edition)
“
Nestled into a bed of shiny cream satin lay a heart-shaped pendant on a simple gold chain. The heart itself was created from over a dozen delicate round amethyst stones, while the center held a miniature painted on porcelain. Done in a series of fine, delicate strokes, the artist's rendering depicted a tiny garden, alive with masses of yellow and white hollyhocks.
Right away, they reminded her of the flowers she'd been drawing that long-ago day in Bath. The day of her and Jack's very first kiss.
Her gaze went to his, breath stilled in her chest. "Oh, Jack. It's Sydney Gardens, isn't it?"
"That's right, with those stalky, puff-headed flowers." He gave her a gentle smile. "Do you like it?"
"I love it."
"I chose amethyst, since you said it's your favorite stone. I hope I remembered right?"
"You did. It's so lovely. Thank you. I'll wear it each and every day," she promised. "Your heart tucked against my own."
A peculiar shadow flickered momentarily across his eyes before he reached for the necklace. "Here, let me help you put it on."
"Yes. Please," she said, relieved he'd offered. Her hands were trembling with so much emotion that she doubted she could have managed the task on her own.
Turning slightly, she angled herself so he could place the chain around her neck and fasten the clasp. The slight weight of the gold and stones grew instantly warm against her skin. "There. How does it look?" she asked as she moved to face him again.
"Beautiful," he said.
But when she glanced up, she realized he wasn't looking at the pendant. Instead, he was looking at her.
”
”
Tracy Anne Warren (Seduced by His Touch (The Byrons of Braebourne, #2))
“
Jack, Jack,’ cried Stephen, running in. ‘I have been sadly remiss. You are promoted, I find. You are a great man – you are virtually an admiral! Give you joy, my dear, with all my heart. The young man in black clothes tells me you are the greatest man on the station, after the Commander-in-chief.’ ‘Why, I am commodore, as most people have the candour to admit,’ said Jack. ‘But I did mention it before, if you recollect. I spoke of my pendant.’ ‘So you did, joy; but perhaps I did not fully apprehend its true significance. I had a cloudy notion that the word commodore and indeed that curious little flag were connected with a ship rather than with a man – I am almost sure that we called the most important ship in the East India fleet, the ship commanded by the excellent Mr Muffit, the commodore. Pray explain this new and splendid rank of yours.’ ‘Stephen, if I tell you, will you attend?’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘I have told you a great deal about the Navy before this, and you have not attended. Only yesterday I heard you give Farquhar a very whimsical account of the difference between the halfdeck and the quarterdeck, and to this day I do not believe you know the odds between . . .
”
”
Patrick O'Brian (The Mauritius Command (Aubrey & Maturin #4))
“
As she lifted it, it caught the light and sent it out in a fan of intense colour.
‘Take this,’ Yollana said, and if there was a request in the two words, she hid it well. ‘Take this, and wear it. Travel this village, these lands. Speak to the people who make this your home. Visit your graves, your fields, your hills; find the shade in your forest, the cooling waters in your brook and small river.’ She let it fall; Ashaf gasped until she saw the glittering chain that stopped it from reaching the ground. A necklace or a pendant of some sort.
She reached out an open palm, and Yollana carefully dropped the stone-for it was a stone, a clear one, like a diamond that would beggar even a Tyr-into her hand. At once, it flared with a deep, blue light; the light ran the length of her arm, shrouding it.
Magic.
‘What-what does it do?’ Her voice was, momentarily, a girl’s voice-the girl that she had thought long gone. Dreamer. Seeker of wonder.
‘It is the Lady’s magic,’ Yollana replied, ‘not the Lord’s. It will not protect you; it will not defend you. Where a blade is raised or a spell is thrown, you will find no solace in it.’
Ashaf smiled wryly. ‘I did not ask you what it wasn’t. I asked you what it is.’
‘It is a keeper’ Yollan said. ‘Of memory. Of affection. Of place. Wear it, as I have told you wear it, and it will take some of what you feel and hold it within depths that you cannot even imagine. Wear it, and you will feel exactly the peace or the joy or the quiet-yes, or the sorrow-that you felt when you donned it.’
‘Why?’
‘It is a piece of home,’ Yollana replied gravely. ‘Many of the Voyani women wear them, because the heart-our hearts-so seldom find a home, and when they do, we cannot remain there.
”
”
Michelle West (The Broken Crown (The Sun Sword, #1))
“
And, Legolas, when the torches are kindled and men walk on the sandy floors under the echoing domes, ah! then, Legolas, gems and crystals and veins of precious ore glint in the polished walls; and the light glows through folded marbles, shell-like, translucent as the living hands of Queen Galadriel. There are columns of white and saffron and dawn-rose, Legolas, fluted and twisted into dreamlike forms; they spring up from many-coloured floors to meet the glistening pendants of the roof: wings, ropes, curtains fine as frozen clouds; spears, banners, pinnacles of suspended palaces! Still lakes mirror them: a glimmering world looks up from dark pools covered with clear glass; cities, such as the mind of Durin could scarce have imagined in his sleep, stretch on through avenues and pillared courts, on into the dark recesses where no light can come. And plink! a silver drop falls, and the round wrinkles in the glass make all the towers bend and waver like weeds and corals in a grotto of the sea. Then evening comes: they fade and twinkle out; the torches pass on into another chamber and another dream. There is chamber after chamber, Legolas; hall opening out of hall, dome after dome, stair beyond stair; and still the winding paths lead on into the mountains’ heart. Caves! The Caverns of Helm’s Deep! Happy was the chance that drove me there! It makes me weep to leave them.
”
”
J.R.R. Tolkien (The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2))
“
That's when she saw his gaze drift downward, alighting on the heart-shaped pendant clasped around her neck.
"You're wearing it," he said, his words carrying a wondering tone.
Reaching up, she fingered the amethysts, then smoothed her thumb over the flat piece of porcelain in the center with its tiny painted garden. "Yes. Because I realize now that it was given in love."
"It was, even if I was too blind to know it at the time. Something else for which I must beg your forgiveness."
"It's yours." She laid her palm on his chest near his heart. "Did you really carry the pendant around with you when we were apart?"
"Constantly. It made me feel closer to you. Strange, I suppose, considering you wore it for such a brief time."
"Not so strange," she reassured. "I kept a handkerchief of yours, though I never planned to tell you that."
Leaning near, he pressed his lips to hers. "Besotted. The pair of us."
"Definitely.
”
”
Tracy Anne Warren (Seduced by His Touch (The Byrons of Braebourne, #2))
“
He produced a small box from his pocket and flipped open the lid. A brilliant pendant lay nestled on a bed of velvet.
At first Cass thought it was the lily necklace that Belladonna had stolen from her at Angelo de Gradi’s workshop. But as she looked more closely, she saw that this pendant was slightly different; the petals were larger, and the diamond in the center had a pinkish hue.
“I had another one made,” Luca said. He took the necklace from her and undid the clasp. Holding the delicate silver chain out toward her neck, he said, “May I?”
“Of course.” She trapped a few tendrils of flyaway hair with her hand and held them back while Luca fastened the necklace. The lily sat right in the hollow of her throat, exactly as its predecessor had.
Luca leaned back to consider his work. One side of his mouth twitched like he was trying but couldn’t quite muster up a smile. “There’s something else,” he said.
“This is more than enough,” Cass said. It was so like him to inundate her with presents because he felt guilty for what she had endured. But she didn’t need presents. That was one thing her parents had never seemed to understand either--that what she needed was just to be surrounded by the people she loved.
“Will you marry me?” Luca blurted out, his face going red. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his breeches, but not before Cass noticed they were shaking.
She raised a hand to the pendant and could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
”
”
Fiona Paul (Starling (Secrets of the Eternal Rose, #3))
“
The crowd were cheering and Geraldine led the Ass squad in that annoying as fuck song about princesses as they all celebrated her win, but I ignore them as I moved forward to offer Roxy a hand up.
“I’ll toss Mildred back in her room, heal her and cast a sleeping spell on her so that she can properly recover,” Cal announced as he moved around us and I couldn’t help but smile at him.
It might have annoyed the fuck out of me that he’d been with my girl, but he really was a good friend. A true brother.
He threw Mildred over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and shot out of the room as Seth howled in excitement.
“Come on,” I said to Roxy. “I’ll clean you up and heal those wounds.”
“Okay.” Roxy followed me back to the couch and I sat her down in my spot before throwing a ring of fire and a silencing bubble up around us to give us some pretence of privacy.
“Doesn’t this count as us being alone?” Roxy asked as I dropped to my knees in front of her and she pulled her busted bottom lip between her teeth.
That shouldn’t have been hot, but it really fucking was.
“I’m going with no,” I replied, but as the ground trembled beneath my knees I had to admit it did.
“Maybe you should just-”
“I’m going to look after you,” I growled, leaving no room for negotiation. “So just let me.”
Her lips parted, eyes flared, fingers gripped the edge of the couch and I was sure she was about to tell me no, but instead she just nodded.
I reached out and curled my fingers wound around her waist as I pressed healing magic from my skin into hers, closing my eyes so that I could concentrate. She had cracked ribs and healing bones was more difficult than damaged tissue.
She fell still as I shifted my hands over her flesh and I tried to ignore the way the floor quaked beneath me. We couldn’t stay in this bubble for long, but I wished that we could. I wished we could just build a bubble where the stars couldn’t see us and stay in it forever. Although I guessed if I offered her that she’d just say no again.
I sighed as my magic depleted, using the last drops of it to heal her and clean the blood from her skin after burning through so much in the game.
A soft touch against my hair made me open my eyes and I looked up at her as she pushed the crown onto my head.
“Mildred knocked me off of the couch first,” she explained in answer to the question in my eyes. “So you win. Besides, you need a big head like yours to pull off a crown like this.”
I snorted a laugh as the ground trembled so violently that I was almost knocked back onto my ass.
Roxy quickly pulled the rings and bracelets from her hands and offered them to me too and I pushed them into my pockets wordlessly.
But as she reached up to unclasp the blood ruby pendant from around her neck I caught her wrist to stop her. “Keep it,” I said, my gaze slipping to the priceless heart where it lay against her flesh. Dragons didn’t give treasure away. Ever. It was inherited through the family or we bought more of it, but we never gifted it to anyone. It went against everything we stood for and the fierce possessiveness of our natures. But for some reason that I couldn’t fully comprehend, I wanted her to keep that necklace. “It looks better on you anyway.”
Her eyes widened but before she could reply, I dropped the wall of fire and stepped away from her. Darcy hurried forward with wild eyes, looking between me and her sister for a long moment like she’d expected us to be arguing or something. But the last thing I was going to do was call Roxy out for beating Mildred’s ass for me. She’d absolutely been working in my interests and I wasn’t even going to pretend to be pissed about it.
“Darius fixed me up like new. Did you see the bit when I kneed her in the vag?” Roxy asked as she grinned and Darcy started laughing.
“It was classic, you’ve gotta come see Tyler’s slow motion footage of you punching her in the throat too!”
(Darius POV)
”
”
Caroline Peckham (Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy, #5))
“
Flight.
I look a moment longer. Then I snap the pendant shut and run back into the temple, shouting Wren's name over and over, half laughing, half crying, heart bursting with the awe and sun-bright surety of it. Because that is what Wren is to me - my wings. And with her love, she's taught me how to use my own. To fight against what oppresses me.
”
”
Natasha Ngan (Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire, #1))
“
My heart aches. Aches at how both her heart and mine were ripped in two by these men. Two bloody, broken halves of a friendship pendant, struggling to cling to life.
”
”
Rebecca Quinn (Entangled (Brutes of Bristlebrook, #2))
“
In a realm of soft hues and blooming blossoms, a young girl lay amidst a field of flowers, a celestial veil gracing her features with a gentle, translucent touch. Her arms extended gracefully above her, eyes closed, she seemed to dance on the edge of dreams. The flowers painted the canvas in shades of blue, purple, and pink, their petals swaying in a tender breeze. Dew-kissed blades of grass formed a sea of diamonds, reflecting the soft glow of an unseen moon.
As the girl stirred in her slumber, a distant echo of horse steps reached her ears, a melody that danced through the flowered meadow. Slowly, she rose from her flowery bed, the veil slipping away like morning mist to unveil her enchanting presence. Her gown, a masterpiece of celestial elegance, cascaded around her. A floor-length creation in light blue, it cradled her form with a sweetheart neckline, the bodice adorned in gold, floral designs. Layers of tulle formed the flowing skirt, adorned with accents of blueish flowers, and a train that trailed behind her like a comet's tail.
Around her neck hung a pendant, a crescent moon cradling a star, both crafted from silver and adorned with blue gemstones, a twin to the one she wore in the enchanted garden. Her golden locks, a cascade of loose curls, framed her face with ethereal grace, flowing like strands of sunlight.
Awakening from the meadow's embrace, her deep blue eyes sought the source of the approaching steps. With a sense of dreamlike purpose, she floated towards the sound, the forest mist enveloping her like a lover's caress. In the heart of the foggy woodland, a clearing revealed itself, trees standing sentinel in the distance.
From the shroud of mist emerged a figure on horseback, a man in the regalia of a medieval warrior. The horse, a noble steed of white, carried him forward with determined grace. His attire, a tapestry of dark fabric and gilded accents, spoke of a history steeped in honor and battle. High collars and embroidered shoulder pads, buttons, and chains of gold, all adorned his form. His cape billowed behind him, a canvas of golden threads dancing in the breeze.
Their eyes met innocence and determination woven together in the tapestry of fate. As he approached, still astride his noble mount, he extended a hand, a silent invitation. With an innocence that matched the morning dew, she lifted her hand to meet his, and at that moment, the world seemed to swirl and dance around them.
Yet, just as the dance was about to begin, Princess Mehjabeen's eyes fluttered open, the enchanting dream slipping away like mist beneath the twilight.
”
”
Haala Humayun (The Legend of Tilsim Hoshruba)
“
In a realm of soft hues and blooming blossoms, a young girl lay amidst a field of flowers, a celestial veil gracing her features with a gentle, translucent touch. Her arms extended gracefully above her, eyes closed, she seemed to dance on the edge of dreams. The flowers painted the canvas in shades of blue, purple, and pink, their petals swaying in a tender breeze. Dew-kissed blades of grass formed a sea of diamonds, reflecting the soft glow of an unseen moon.
As the girl stirred in her slumber, a distant echo of horse steps reached her ears, a melody that danced through the flowered meadow. Slowly, she rose from her flowery bed, the veil slipping away like morning mist to unveil her enchanting presence. Her gown, a masterpiece of celestial elegance, cascaded around her. A floor-length creation in light blue, it cradled her form with a sweetheart neckline, the bodice adorned in gold, floral designs. Layers of tulle formed the flowing skirt, adorned with accents of blueish flowers, and a train that trailed behind her like a comet's tail.
Around her neck hung a pendant, a crescent moon cradling a star, both crafted from silver and adorned with blue gemstones, a twin to the one she wore in the enchanted garden. Her golden locks, a cascade of loose curls, framed her face with ethereal grace, flowing like strands of sunlight.
Awakening from the meadow's embrace, her deep blue eyes sought the source of the approaching steps. With a sense of dreamlike purpose, she floated towards the sound, the forest mist enveloping her like a lover's caress. In the heart of the foggy woodland, a clearing revealed itself, trees standing sentinel in the distance.
From the shroud of mist emerged a figure on horseback, a man in the regalia of a medieval warrior. The horse, a noble steed of white, carried him forward with determined grace. His attire, a tapestry of dark fabric and gilded accents, spoke of a history steeped in honor and battle. High collars and embroidered shoulder pads, buttons, and chains of gold, all adorned his form. His cape billowed behind him, a canvas of golden threads dancing in the breeze.
Their eyes met innocence and determination woven together in the tapestry of fate. As he approached, still astride his noble mount, he extended a hand, a silent invitation. With an innocence that matched the morning dew, she lifted her hand to meet his, and at that moment, the world seemed to swirl and dance around them.
”
”
Haala Humayun (The Legend of Tilsim Hoshruba)
“
Her red-tipped fingers graze the heart pendant attached to a gold chain. “It’s beautiful, Dean. It’s… too much.” Cora glances up at me with misted eyes, then looks back down at the necklace. She removes it from the box, letting the delicate chain dance over her fingers as she holds it up and gazes at the gilded heart.
”
”
Jennifer Hartmann (Still Beating)
“
I reach for my locket with my free hand, fisting the heart pendant between my fingers as my other hand clings to my husband. And on the count of three, we rush into the ocean, tears mixing with laughter, love swelling higher than the tide, and we jump into the water. Together.
”
”
Jennifer Hartmann (Still Beating)
“
Mia cara is one of the best content writers at Sagacia jewelry, having experience of more than five years. She loves connecting her heart with the gem lover through the knowledge about the gemstones. These crystals have always fascinated her with their beauty and healing properties. Reading her blogs will provide you with all the insights you must know before buying the gemstone-like the Malachite Pendant. We hope you will like her readings.
”
”
Mia Cara
“
A black pendant in the shape of a heart lay in her hand. It was carved with roses and strung onto a velvet cord.
”
”
Teresa Flavin (Jet Black Heart)
“
My conscious mind absorbed what my instincts had already realized: one of the girls was Gobi; the other was so similar that she could have been her twin. I couldn’t exactly say how I knew which was which; some nuance of the smile, a subtle glint of humor that the other, more earnest girl didn’t reveal.
I held the photo directly up to my eyes, looking more closely.
Both girls were wearing pendants around their necks.
Half-hearts.
I am Death.
”
”
Joe Schreiber (Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick (Perry & Gobi, #1))
“
He sat with his arm still around her, watching her face and smiling as she fumbled with the elegant gold wrapping, her agile fingers suddenly clumsy. She lifted the lid off and stared speechlessly at the simple pendant that lay on satin lining like a cobweb of gold. A dark red heart, chiseled and planed, was attached to the chain.
“That’s a ruby,” she stammered.
“No,” he corrected gently, lifting it from the box and placing it around her neck. “That’s my heart.” The chain was long, and the ruby heart slid down her chest to nestle between her breasts, gleaming with dark fire as it lay against her honeyed skin.
“Wear that forever,” he murmured his eyes on the lush curves that his gift used as a pillow.
“And my heart will always be touching yours.
”
”
Linda Howard (Come Lie with Me)
“
He held out the pendant in the palm of his hand.
"Happy birthday, Copper," he whispered.
”
”
Sharon Lynn Fisher (A Heart for Copper)
“
Stepping back, he went to his bedside table. He returned carrying something. Opening his palm, he revealed the heart-shaped pendant he'd given her so many months ago.
"I've kept this," he explained. "You might say it's become a talisman of sorts. I... I carry it everywhere. But I'm going to give it to you again, if you'll take it. Whether you decide ever to wear it or not is up to you."
"Jack," she murmured, as she let him press the jewelry into her hand.
”
”
Tracy Anne Warren (Seduced by His Touch (The Byrons of Braebourne, #2))
“
On a collarbone,
I jewel every new epiphany—
My heart's pendant.
”
”
Ritu Negi (Cherry Blossoms: A Haiku Poetry Book)
“
Later in the day, Holly frowned at her reflection in the mirror.
“This can’t be right!” Holly muttered to herself. She looked like a cross between a panda bear and a raccoon. She had tried to apply a more advanced version of makeup than she was used to, and it was not going well.
“Smokey eye, my foot! I look like I have two black eyes.” She had not done the proper shading with her eye shadow, and now her large green eyes were encased with a deep black color that spanned her entire eyelid.
“Maybe I should try a different one,” Holly mused aloud. She sat in William’s bedroom at his dresser. She already had on her pretty crushed velvet black dress and a small heart-shaped diamond pendant. It had been William’s birthday gift to her last year.
“Let me re-read this article again to see if I can make sense of these instructions.”
Holly read her magazine article out loud. “Which Greek Goddess are you? Athena, Venus, or Aphrodite? Check out our makeup tips below to turn heads at your next event!”
“Hmmmm, that sounds soooooo good, if only I was better at applying makeup.”
She had decided to try their Aphrodite look and had been trying to apply the eyeliner to give her a smoky eye effect.
Holly had to wash her face four times already and start over because each time was worse than the last.
“Concentrate, Holly, or you’ll be late for the gala. This is your last chance; it’s do or die time!” she warned her reflection in the mirror.
“So, it says to put the light grey eyeshadow on the inner one-third of my eyelids. Hmmm, maybe that’s the problem. I don’t know where the inner third is.”
She got an idea and went to William’s desk. Looking around, she found a ruler.
“Ah-ha! Eureka, I got it!” She went back to her position at his dresser and closed her eyes for a quick, small prayer, then held the ruler up to measure her eye.
“Ah-ha! Twenty-one millimeters. So, that means the inner one-third of my eye must be from my nose out seven millimeters . . . right about HERE!” Holly expertly applied the light grey eye shadow to the inner third of her eyelids.
“What a big improvement already! Wow! I’m not a panda bear anymore! Ok, one-third down, two-thirds to go . . . I can do this!”
Reading further, she said, “Ok, now apply the dark grey eye shadow to the next third of your eye, finishing with the dark brown eye shadow on the outer third of your eyelid.”
Holly expertly followed the instructions and sat back in her chair, stunned.
She looked beautiful! She had achieved the desired effect, and now her green eyes were enhanced to perfection.
“Wow, wow, wow!” Holly felt encouraged to keep going.
She read the next instructions.
“‘Now, apply blush to your face with an emphasis on contouring your cheekbones.’”
“‘Contouring my cheekbones? Who do they think I am, Rembrandt?” Holly said with a groan.
Holly gingerly picked up her blush container as if it were about to bite her. She decided another quick prayer wouldn’t go amiss. With a deep breath she muttered, “Ok, I’m going in!”
She glanced nervously at the picture in the magazine and tried her hardest to follow it along her cheekbones. “That turned out pretty good!”
Holly turned her face this way and that, examining it. It may not have been exactly as in the picture, but the blush now accentuated her beautiful high cheekbones.
“Whew! Only the lip left, thank goodness! You got this, Holly!” She encouraged her reflection in the mirror.
”
”
Kira Seamon (Dead Cereus)
“
I remember it. I remember when it hadn’t happened. I remember when you hadn’t happened. None of you had. It was me, just me, just me and then all of you and all of your light and your trees and your sky and your rain. Your rain. Soaking you through, weighing you down as you dance in it, shouting and singing and thanking the clouds as they chill your bones and flood your homes. The water rises, and you still seem as if you cannot stop dancing. Are you singing now? Whom do you thank when everything has been destroyed, and the clouds have grown so dark that you are blinded in the newborn sea of their creation? In the beginning, it was only me. In the end, it will be only me. Me and… you. How are you here? How is this fair? Don’t you wish it had been someone else? I wish it had been nobody at all, but now… now I feel you. I feel your presence here. I feel your pain, your fear. I felt your breathing stop when you arrived. I heard the splintering crack of something important. It’s starting again now. You’re starting again. In slow, coughing, hitching breaths. I can taste the dirt in your mouth. I feel the bruises forming around your ribs. Your heart is going too fast. Perhaps in the end, your own terror will kill you, instead of me-- instead of whatever we were doomed to become. Or perhaps you will not die. At the end, they will all be gone but us; and in that nothingness, we will forget any of it ever existed at all. I will forget that I was ever alone.
”
”
Riley S. Quinn (Illuminated (The Pendant of Hyacinth #3))
“
Wild Heart, a magnificent necklace containing twenty-six oval-shaped pink diamonds surrounded by diamonds and emeralds with a forty-carat heart-shaped pink diamond pendant center.
”
”
Sara Desai (To Have and to Heist)
“
With my good hand I grasp the chain and pull the necklace over my head. Half of a heart pendant rests in my palm. Mine reads Friends. The other half reads Best and it is in the cellar of an abandoned house, resting against the rotting skin of Felicity Turnado.
”
”
Mindy McGinnis (The Last Laugh (The Initial Insult, #2))
“
With my good hand I grasp the chain and pull the necklace over my head. Half of a heart pendant rests in my palm. Mine reads Friends. The other half reads Best and it is in the cellar of an abandoned house, resting against the rotting skin of Felicity Turnado.
”
”
Mindy McGinnis (The Last Laugh (The Initial Insult, #2))
“
They experimented with different lengths of the necklace. Lady Freddy eventually decided it should lie exactly where a young widow might have positioned it—so the gold pendant fell right above her cleavage.
“Have I shocked you, Milly?”
To my very toes, my lady. I shall endeavor to age every bit as shockingly as you have. The professor will be the envy of all who behold you. Though it might be chilly later on, best tuck a fichu into your pocket, my lady.
”
”
Grace Burrowes (The Traitor (Captive Hearts, #2))
“
After you have bathed and oiled her with the faintest hint of frankincense, use no other perfume. Apply only the lightest of the cosmetics. She is beautiful without them, so let us not mar her beauty." He studied her. "Dress her in a simple white, semi-sheer tunic. The king will enjoy the ability to see her well. But cover the tunic with a pale blue robe trimmed with purple."
Parisa hurried to the garment room and returned with clothing that matched Hegai's description. "Do these suffice, my lord?"
Hegai took the tunic and robe and nodded. "Soft and beautiful. Yes. This is perfect. Tie the robe with a purple sash. Place a golden pendant around her neck and hang golden earrings from her ears. Let me see her choice of sandals."
Parisa hurried back to the room after laying the garments flat on the bed, which had already been stripped of its linens. She returned with an armful of sandals and set them on a chair.
Heegai bent to examine them and pulled a pair of intricately carved leather devoid of jewels from the pile. "You will go as a virgin with hints of wealth to show off your character and your beauty. You may wear your mother's ring, but do not wear bracelets. The less distraction you give him, the better. The king, you shall see, likes simple pleasures, despite the ornate designs you find throughout the palace."
"And my hair?" Esther's head spun with his quick choices. She sensed by his look that Hegai had planned this for some time, probably in the hopes that she would ask for his help. She breathed a silent prayer of thanks to Adonai, for she knew she could never have decided on her own.
Hegai rubbed his chin and had her turn about. Her long dark hair fell to the middle of her back. To wear it down would be scandalous. Her heart beat faster at the thought, for she had no idea what Hegai would suggest or what the king would desire.
"Wear it up. Hold it in place with combs that are easily removed. The king will enjoy removing them.
”
”
Jill Eileen Smith (Star of Persia: (An Inspirational Retelling about Queen Esther))
“
I may say,Trust is like a breakable pendant,made of pearly beads,Oh! when it breaks,the Angel face it turns a shame,the heart in drying vain,and forever the lips may detached,to never kiss you Deep?
”
”
Nithin Purple
“
My fingers flit across the counters as I take it all in. I stop when I notice the crystal pendant lights hanging over the peninsula.
"Crystal ones?" I ask.
"You've always loved the sparkles and chandeliers."
"I do love them, they look great, but why because I like them?"
He swallows hard and blows out a breath. "Because I didn't buy this house for me. I bought it for you...for us."
It's our dream house. The one we talked about years ago. The ones we sculpted with teenage minds and teenage hearts is still perfectly us.
"What?"
"We used to talk about the future, about what our home would be like. I remember the excitement you would have when talking about what you wanted in our home, and I found a home with those elements that I could make ours."
"Is this a little fast?" I ask, even though I know the answer in my heart.
"It's not to pressure you, just to show you that I meant every promise. With the relationship you just came off of, we will take it at whatever pace you want, but no matter what, I'm going to be standing right beside you. I made the mistake of not coming home years ago, but I'm not going to take the chance of losing you again.
”
”
K.I. Lynn (Forever and All the Afters)
“
He clutched at his chest, trying to find the pendant that hung there, to hold onto the reality of it, the reality of his age and the time in which he was living, but the shadows surrounded him on all sides and the fear grew in his heart and he was only a frightened little boy.
”
”
Noor Al-Shanti (Children of the Dead City)
“
Corinne La Mer’s heart beat like wild drums as she ran through the forest. Her bare feet stumbled over the dead leaves and protruding roots of the forest floor. She strained her eyes in the dappled sunlight to keep track of the small, furry agouti that scampered away from her. Occasionally, light glinted off the smooth rock tied to the animal’s hind leg. It called to Corinne like a beacon. When she got close enough, she pounced on the ’gouti and missed, grabbing only a handful of dirt. Corinne grunted and threw the dirt aside. The animal ran beneath a bush and Corinne squeezed down to the damp earth to crawl after it. Her skirt got caught on branches, but she ripped it away, determined to reach the animal. On the other side, the creature cowered against a rock and the roots of a large tree. In her eleven years of life, Corinne had learned that with nowhere to run, a wild animal might try to attack. She hung back. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said in her calmest voice. She eased closer. “I just need that thing on your leg. You’ll be able to run much faster without it, and I won’t be chasing you . . . so . . .” She moved with care toward the ’gouti and gently untied the silk cord. The animal’s coarse fur shivered and its pulse beat as fast as her own. Corinne closed her fist firmly around the stone pendant and crawled back out of the bush. She rubbed the stone with her thumb. Over years of constant handling, she had worn a smooth groove that fit her finger perfectly. The pendant had been her mama’s, and when she put her thumb into the little hollow, she imagined her mama’s hand around her own. Corinne breathed a sigh of relief now that it was back in her possession, but her relief did not last long. She didn’t know this part of the forest. And it was darker here. The branches of the mahogany trees were so thick that barely any light came through. It even smelled different, of wood and wet earth, while Corinne was used to the smell of the sea. She had no idea which way was out. Somewhere between the leaves, Corinne thought she saw a pair of lights shining. They were close together, like eyes. Her skin prickled, but then the lights disappeared and Corinne tried to shake off her fear. The little bit of light must have been reflecting on something. Don’t be silly, she scolded herself.
”
”
Tracey Baptiste (The Jumbies (The Jumbies #1))