Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

by Neal Shusterman

If there was one thing that Scythe Faraday had taught him, it was to live by the convictions of his heart, no matter what the consequences. And if there was one thing Scythe Goddard had taught him, it was to have no heart, taking life without regrets. The

They were so focused on the act of killing, they couldn’t comprehend what went into the act of dying.

Yet am I not quantifiably more benevolent than the various versions of God? I have never brought about a flood, or destroyed entire cities as punishment for their iniquity. I have never sent armies to conquer in my name. In fact, I have never killed, or even harmed a single human being. Therefore, although I do not require devotion, am I not deserving of it?

An arrogant head of state gives permission to all nature of hate as long as it feeds his ambition. And the unfortunate truth is, people devour it. Society gorges itself, and rots. Permission is the bloated corpse of freedom.

Guard your conscience, Anastasia, and never let it wilt. It is a scythe’s most valuable possession.”

He wasn’t sure whether he was trying to outrun his anger, or catch up with it.

The passions, the fears, the triumphs, and the losses; it made no sense to a world without need, greed, and natural death.

guileless, callow nature to be refreshing. But

If there was nothing more to hope for, then he would cling to the hope that he might see her again before his eyes were closed forever.

Unlike the others, he did not remove his robe—and, just as in Goddard’s pool a year ago, the weight of his gilded robe pulled him down to the bottom of the council chamber. He would not allow himself to be

And so, at the bottom of the flooded chamber, Xenocrates emptied his lungs of air, breathed in the sea, and drowned exceptionally well.

She thrust her blade inward, directly into her heart. She fell to the ground only seconds before the sea would wash over her, but knew death would wash over her faster. And the blade hurt far less than she imagined it would, which made her smile. She was good. Very, very good.

When he took her in his arms, it suddenly didn’t seem to matter what was going on outside of their tiny, sealed universe. In these terminal minutes of their current lives, it was just the two of them finally, finally giving in to their ultimate act of completion. The binary at last becoming the one.