Moon Demon Quotes

“Life is like riding a bicycle. You get nowhere standing up, so get up on that seat and go!”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Michael nudged her and whispered into her ear. “You’re a rock goddess.”
She smiled. “If you only knew.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Magic was working as she continued to sing about a heart filled with resentment and hot jealousy. She could feel their emotions swelling in the room.
She glanced down at Tianna and saw a wry smile on her face, as if she understood the song was about her.
The lyrics poured from Vanessa, and she felt supercharged. She continued singing and it was as if she had let the deepest part of herself fly. It was true what Hector had told her; she was born to spread sorrow, but not in the way he might have imagined. She could make people feel their sadness through her music, but she also gave them hope, dreams, and desires.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“She waited until his face became a spectral form, then she threw the first fistful of ash at him, the fine particles merging with his cells.
A horrified look crossed his phantom face. His mouth stretched, and a scream skated from his throat, high-pitched and painful to her ears. Then he slammed back together, his hands digging into his cheeks.
He stopped abruptly, stunned, and looked at her with an expression of sadness and regret. Then his eyelids fluttered and she imagined that she was seeing the person he had once been, a brave and kindhearted soldier. She felt his gratitude before he closed his eyes.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“You're too late!" she yelled to the other Daughters. "I'm bound to him already."
"We're never too late!" Tianna shouted back, squinting, her concentration severe.
Vanessa could feel the bands on her wrists vibrating, then with a sudden flash, they split apart, breaking into chunks and rattling to the ground as sparks cascaded over them.
Tianna folded her arms across her chest. "Nothing holds you now."
Vanessa glanced up. The ring around the moon was no more than a hazy mist, drifting across the sky. She looked at Hector. He did nothing to restrain her. She took a tentative step into the moonlight. When the gentle radiance didn't burn her, she ran to her friends.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Of all the Daughters you are the only one who denies and hides her dark side.”
“Me?” Vanessa asked. So Maggie had watched her struggle.
“You push back your negative emotions, because you’re afraid people won’t like you. Now what you call your bad emotions are becoming stronger, trying to express themselves. If I have sensed this conflict inside you, then the Atrox has also. It knows it can take advantage of this, hoping to convince you that you are an evil Daughter of Pandora.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“I had failed to ask for perpetual youth, so granting my wish condemned me to age forever. The Atrox has done this to others, but Selene took pity on me and gave me an elixir to counteract the aging.”
Vanessa remembered the first time she had watched Maggie drink a cup of tea. The wrinkles around her eyes had vanished, and she had continued to look younger, her hands becoming those of a girl. She had pulled the pins from her bun, and luxurious curls had fallen to her shoulders, her hair no longer gray, but the silky pale blond of shimmering moonbeams.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Maggie has convinced you that you’re a Daughter of the Moon.” He studied her, looking for a reaction. “But you’re really a Daughter of Pandora, not Selene.”
“That’s not true,” she protested. She didn’t want to believe him, but already a tremor of doubt was creeping into her mind. Could that have been why she had tried so hard to be perfect? Not breaking any rules, always being nice, knowing deep down she had something terrible she needed to hide.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“I just want to find out if there's a Regulator as Michael, and why."
"I sent him to protect you," Stanton said simply.
"You?"
Stanton nodded. "I told him everything I knew about you and Michael so his charade would convince you."
"Why would you send someone to protect me?" Vanessa asked, baffled.
"You were in danger."
She knew in an instant that Serena was the one he had been trying to protect. If one Daughter was at risk, then all of them were in jeopardy. Stanton might be pure evil, but his love for Serena hadn't been destroyed when he had returned to the Atrox.
She could feel Stanton reading her mind. He placed a finger over her lips as if to warn her not to share her thoughts with Serena.
"You once tried to save me from my fate," he began slowly, his words silky and hypnotizing. "Even though you failed, I remember your bravery, so when I heard that the demon had been summoned to lure you to the dark side, I tricked a Regulator named Finis into helping you."
Stanton eased closer to her, his thoughts touching her gently, searching for a memory of Serena, then he smiled and continued. "The Atrox doesn't use Finis anymore, so he was happy for the assignment. I told him to disguise himself as Michael and watch over you because I wanted to claim you and not let the demon have the glory of seducing a Daughter.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Hector sat up and brushed sand from his slacks. When he did, Vanessa caught a glimpse of something gold reflected in the moonlight.
She reached for his pant leg and pulled it up. It looked like a gold band with an intricate serpentine design etched into the metal. “It’s beautiful. Let me see.”
Hector jerked his leg away from her.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Ankle bracelets.” He stood, took her hand and pulled her up. “They’re a custom where I come from.”
“Where is that?” she asked, again aware of his accent.
He didn’t answer. Something had caught his attention.
She glanced down. Her gloves had fallen below the elbow and he was staring at the filigree pattern etched into her skin.
“It’s a henna tattoo,” she lied and tried to laugh. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” he said reverently. He removed the rhinestone bracelet and peeled the glove down her arm. A sigh escaped his lips as if he were overcome by the beauty of the design. He turned her hand and ran his fingers lightly over the twisting lines. Under the moonlight the red starburst on the back of her hand radiated like fire.
“This is so lovely,” he whispered. “You shouldn’t hide it under gloves.”
He tossed her gloves in the sand.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“She began rummaging through the dresses hanging on racks, finally pulling out a slinky blue one with long slits up the side and a low-cut back. She hadn’t seen it before. She held it up against her chest and studied herself in the mirror. She definitely liked what she saw.
She carried the dress back to her room and flung it onto the bed, determined to ignore her homework and take her nap. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t do that. She might need to do something drastic, but that definitely didn’t include letting her grades drop. She put her books on the desk, and within a few minutes she was lost in her notes and textbooks.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“There was only one way she knew to rid herself of the hurt throbbing through her. Anticipation made her skin feverish. She freed her molecules, her body surrendering the pull of tendons, bone, and muscle. She closed her eyes, enjoying the slow tickling pain of dissolving into a million fragments.
"Vanessa!" Michael yelled and ran into the girl's locker room after her, his boots echoing on the concrete floor.
"You're not allowed in here," she tried to shout at him, but during the transition she rarely controlled her vocal cords. A haunted sound like wind whispering through trees came from her throat.
Michael looked around the room, baffled. What would he do when he found her shimmering like a ghost?”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Sunshine awakened Vanessa with the promise of a hot day. She moussed her hair as she walked to the bathroom, then, bending at the waist, flipped her head upside down and turned on the blow-dryer. When she was finished drying her hair, she flung her head back and used a curling iron to make spirals. She held the top pieces of hair back with butterfly barrettes, put on makeup, and dressed in cotton slacks and a funky crocheted top with smiling flowers stitched across the front.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Vanessa thought of Hector on the way home. Words floated in her mind and she started composing the lyrics for another song, a wailing bittersweet ballad about impossible love. She wanted to make the music dynamic and cathartic. Already, she could feel her fingers aching to find the keys, but she didn’t say anything. She hadn’t told any of them about her new passion. She was too afraid they’d laugh.
She wondered what her onstage presence would be. Some of the singers she saw had her wholesome look but they were intense and earthy when they sang. She didn’t know if she’d have the courage. She might be too embarrassed to show her most private thoughts in public, but she’d have to try someday.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Both Tianna and Catty were wearing impossibly high stacked heels.
“What are you going to do if we have to run?” Vanessa closed the car door and settled in.
“It’s on you to make us invisible.” Serena turned from the front seat and kicked a foot in the air, showing off spiked sandals with straps tied around her ankle. Her hair was pulled back tight, and her earrings swung to her shoulders.
Vanessa put her own foot up, turning her shoe. “I’m wearing ankle breakers, too.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“That night, Vanessa slipped into the slinky red dress she had taken from her mother's storage room. It was low cut, slit up the side, and clung perfectly to her body. She sprayed musky cologne into the air, then whirled into the fragrance, hoping to cover the mothball and new-material smell of her outfit.
Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, she pulled on spiky black shoes, fluffed her curls and added rhinestone earrings. She studied her reflection, pleased with the glam look she saw.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“Vanessa.” Catty waved, then ran toward her, her arm extended to keep her coffee from spilling. She wore a see-through green top over a polka-dot bra and hip-hugging jeans that showed off the hoop piercing her belly button. When she got closer, Vanessa saw the blue stains on her wrist and thumb, and knew she’d been up late painting.
“I’m so glad I found you first.” Catty’s straight brown hair glimmered with coppery streaks. Her face had a natural glow. “You’ll never guess what!”
“Tell me.”
“The art department is entering one of my paintings in the school-district competition.” Catty took a sip of coffee, her eyes watching Vanessa over the rim.
“That’s great! Which one?” Vanessa asked.
“You haven’t seen it yet.”
“I haven’t?” Vanessa was surprised. “I thought I’d seen everything.”
“I used Tianna for my model this time,” Catty explained.
“Oh.” Vanessa could feel her smile slipping from her lips. “Why didn’t you ask me?” Vanessa posed for Catty all the time. The goddesses in her paintings always resembled Vanessa.
“You were busy with Michael.” Catty pulled yellow-tinted sunglasses from her messenger bag and slid them on.
“It’s all right,” Vanessa said, feeling hurt.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“She might be the most popular girl at school, but all at once it felt as if she’d paid too high a price for that honor. She didn’t even know who she was anymore. She was letting too many people define her and she didn’t want to spend her last year as a goddess being the person other people wanted her to be. She needed to do something drastic before she lost herself completely.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“She relaxed her mind and let her body dissolve. Bone and tendon quivered until her arms, hands, and fingers looked like black specks waving in the dark. Soon she was free from gravity and drifting up the stairs.
But as she twisted through the gloom, something foreign tangled with her invisible body. It wove through her with a furry tickle, leaving a pungent scent of decay. It didn't have the sensation of steam, dust, or smog. She curled back, trying to escape the sickening smell, but whatever it was moved with her, sinuous like a snake, coiling around her. She twirled, then sprang forward, but it held her. The air became thick and gluey, her cells no longer able to pull in oxygen through osmosis.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“During the Peloponnesian War a brave Athenian soldier fell desperately in love with the daughter of his commander. He asked for her hand in marriage but she had to refuse. Having dedicated her life to the goddess Selene, she had vowed not to marry until an evil power called the Atrox was vanquished. The soldier swore to destroy the dark force and free his beloved from her vow.
He traveled day and night until he came to the western side of the river Oceanus. There he passed through groves of barren willows and poplars until he found the cave that led to Tartarus, the land of the dead. He entered it, and when he reached the impenetrable darkness, demons swarmed around him.
A towering black cloud surged toward him. He knew it was the Atrox. But instead of trembling with fear, he became intoxicated with his own bravery; he alone had the courage to face the Atrox. If he destroyed it, he would not only win his bride, but also become as powerful as any of the immortal gods.
Pride overtook him as he shot his arrow. A terrible scream pierced the misty air. Then the unimaginable happened. The Atrox surrendered to him and humbly offered a gift of gold ankle bands in tribute.
The young man, eager to return to his love and flaunt his victory, clasped the heavy metal bands around his legs, but as he did, flames ravaged his body and the evil he had set out to destroy consumed him. The Atrox had tricked him and given him not ornaments but shackles, condemning him to an eternity of servitude. Demons carried him away from the underworld and cast him out from Earth.
Over the centuries many people have seen the young soldier in the night sky and thought of him only a falling star. He wanders the universe alone, unable to return to Earth unless summoned by his master, the Atrox.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon