Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking, #3)

by Patrick Ness

Todd, I think– Would I start a new war just to save you? Would I?

I would have killed hundreds, thousands to save him. I would have started an even bigger war for Todd.

I wonder if seeing all that death is why she looks a little different to me. More real, more there, like it’s just the most incredible thing in the world that we’re both still alive and I feel my chest get all funny and tight and I think, Here she is, right here, my Viola, she came for me, she’s here– And I find myself thinking how I want to take her hand again and never let it go, to feel the skin of it, the warmth of it, hold it tight against my own hand and–

“You’re the thing that matters to me, Todd. Out of this whole planet, you’re the only thing that matters.” I swallow, hard. “You, too.”

“If you ever hurt Viola,” I say, “you know I’d kill you.” “One of the many reasons why I never would.”

And then I feel her press her cheek more strongly into my fingers– Turning her head, so the palm of my hand is holding her– Holding her there– And another tear falls down– And she turns more– Turns so her lips are pressing against my palm–

“And if he needs saving, then you save him. Isn’t that what you told me you did for each other?”

his own Noise is opening as wide as it used to be, opening with astonishment and joy and so much love you can hardly bear to look at it and those feelings are surging back along the crowd like a wave and the crowd is staggering under it, staggering under the feeling that Todd’s transmitting to them– Transmitting it just like the Mayor can–

See how he feels the skin of my hand against his, see how he wants to take it and press it to his mouth, how he wants to breathe in the smell

of me and how beautiful I look to him, how strong after all that illness, and how he wants to just lightly touch my neck, just there, and how he wants to take me in his arms and– “Oh, God,” he says, looking away suddenly. “Viola, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean–” But I just put my hand up to the back of his neck– And he says, “Viola–?” And I pull myself towards him– And I kiss him. And it feels like, finally.

“He loves you, you idiot,” Lee says, not unkindly. “Even a blind man can see that.”

I swallow. “You’ll do fine,” I say. “With or without me.”

And there’s the pain again. “Yes,” he says. “Yes, I expect I will.”

“He’s awake,” she said, tears of joy still streaming. “Lee, Wilf. He’s awake.”