“What dark secrets do you keep hidden from the world? Where would you go if no one could find you? What would you do if no one could see you?”

“Perhaps you could find a way to prudently follow your instincts?"Morrigan put her arm around Birkita and squeezed. "I'm eighteen. Nothing I do is prudent."Birkita sighed. "That is what worries me.”

“Morrigan "Don't worry I'm following my instincts."Birkita "Perhaps you could find a way to prudently follow your instincts"Morrigan "I'm eighteen, nothing I do is prudent”

“I laugh, and it was amazing! I swear I could see my laughter floating around me like puffy things you blow off a dandelion, only instead of being white it was birthday-cake-frosting-blue. wow! Who knew hitting my head and passing out would be so much fun? I wonder if this was what it was like to be high.”

“Da, hes waiting for me to tell the two of you our news first, then he'll join me."He cocked a dark brow at her. "And why would he not come to your mother and me first and ask permission to handfast with you, as is the honorable thing to do?"She cocked her own brow, mirroring his expression perfectly. "Because he's not stupid. Anyone with any sense would be scared of you two. But even scared to death, he wanted to come with me. I wouldn't let him. I knew I needed to talk to you alone first.”

“At the very least i should fear you. some would say that I should hate you.""Many would say that.""Yet i neither fear nor hate you.""You-you are comforting me. Giving me sanctuary. Why, Grandma?" Aurox asked."Because I believe in the power of love. I believe in chosing Light over Darkness-happiness over hatred-trust over skeptism,”

“I watched you while you were sleeping and you looked completely at peace. I wish I could feel that. I wish I could close my eyes and feel at peace. But I can’t. I can’t feel anything if I’m notwith you, and even then all I can do is want something that I don’t think I can ever have, at least not now. So I left this, and my peace, with you. Stark.”