Queen

“I want every inch of you inside me. I want you to tear me to pieces. I want to feel everything.”

“I will follow you. To the ends of the earth, if there is such a place. I will support you–and any family you have. Because you are my family, Shara. You and I are bound by our souls–our hearts. Your hope is my hope. Your fears are mine. If I can help to make this world better, I’ll do it. If you think this is the place we’re meant to be–that this is the battle we’re meant to fight–I will be there, every step of the way.”

“Lies by omission are still lies.”

“All you need to know is that in this place, right now, you and I are untouchable. Our souls are bonded. Our minds. Nothing matters but us. I feel no pain. I promise. Only pleasure.”

“I’ve been told a tether never dies, never breaks fully. I want to think it’s true. I want to believe that wherever I am now, I am still bound to you eternally. I’m yours, whatever happens. I always have been. And you’ve always been mine.”

“I love you. So much that it hurts. I’ll never stop–never. I promise.”

“Everything is a crime in the realm–or hadn’t you heard? Touching another Tethered. Feeling love or hate. Existing in a state of basic autonomy. Hell, thinking is a crime–at least, according to the Nobility. Then again, in the Capitol, it’s every man or woman for themselves. Most of the rules went out the window long ago. Nowadays, all that matters is staying out of the way of the bomber drones or the patrols and declaring loyalty to the Magister–or keeping the hell out of his way.”

“You shouldn’t trust anyone–not even the people you think are your closest allies. The Capitol has a way of turning people against one another–even those who were once deeply in love. Take my word for it when I tell you that place has even torn apart more than one set of tethered mates.”

“When the time comes, you’ll know what to do. The queen will save us all.”

“When I tell you I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time, I mean it. I couldn’t wait to show you the happiest day of your life. I’ve been holding onto that vision for some time.”

“I intend to finish it at least four times tonight alone.”

“That is the life of a Tethered. We are little more than playthings for the ruling class. We’re disposable toys, and our love for one another, our pain, our very lives don’t matter to a monster like King Tomas.”

“All things are bound together by one fate. It’s up to us to choose what to do with it–but there is no escaping it once we’re on the chosen path.”

“As long as my heart still beats, I’m yours. Remember that–whatever may come. You and I will be together as long as we both live, I swear it. I can’t wait to see you again in the flesh.”

“I love you so much. I told you so many times that I would love you until my last day in this world, but the truth is, I will love you beyond. You’ll find me one day, waiting for you. Never straying, never thinking of anything but your voice, your scent. The touch of your skin, your perfect lips–and your goodness. Because Shara–you are good. You are hope. You are what the realm needs most of all. I’m nothing more than an appendage. A distraction. I always have been. The world is far bigger than just me, and you’ll learn that soon enough. But you and I–we were nothing more than a dream.”

“You’ve ruined me, you know. You’ve ransacked everything inside me and taken every bit of my soul for your own. I only exist through your gaze–your desire. My blood pulses for you alone.”