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Darkness Hidden Quotes
Darkness Hidden
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Zoë Marriott294 ratings, 3.90 average rating, 47 reviews
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Darkness Hidden Quotes
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“You’re messing with us, aren’t you?” I said.
“I have been accused of having an unfortunate sense of humour. But when you reach my age, most of life becomes either unbearably funny or unbearably sad,” he confessed.
“What is your age, exactly?” Shinobu asked, moving smoothly towards the end of the counter.
“That would be telling,” the old man said, still smiling like a plump-cheeked little baby.”
― Darkness Hidden
“I have been accused of having an unfortunate sense of humour. But when you reach my age, most of life becomes either unbearably funny or unbearably sad,” he confessed.
“What is your age, exactly?” Shinobu asked, moving smoothly towards the end of the counter.
“That would be telling,” the old man said, still smiling like a plump-cheeked little baby.”
― Darkness Hidden
“The first thing that struck me was how big the place was. Not exactly TARDIS-like, but a lot larger than I’d been expecting from the exterior. ”
― Darkness Hidden
― Darkness Hidden
“His fingers cupped my face, cradling my cheek and jaw as if I was made of glass. I found a handful of his soft hair and wound my fingers into it, while curling my other hand into the shoulder of his leather coat. My heart hadn’t even stopped thundering from the Foul Woman’s presence. Now it was thrumming against my ribs again, too fast to count the beats. I did something I’d always secretly wanted to and bit down, very gently, on his beautiful bottom lip. Shinobu’s breath shivered into my mouth, and he pulled me closer.
I was taller now, but not tall enough. Tiptoes didn’t bring me where I wanted to be either. I jumped and hauled myself up the steel pillar of his body, wrapping one leg around his hip. The big, warm hand on my waist slid slowly down the thin fabric of my trousers to cup my thigh, supporting my weight. His other hand was clenched in my hair. A wave of almost painful excitement and yearning crashed through me, and sent me into a full-body shudder that I had no chance of hiding. A tiny moan popped from my lips straight into his.
“Mio. Oh, Mio…” His shaking voice echoed in my ears, mixing with words in Japanese. I recognized some of them. My beloved. My Mio. He pressed his mouth to my eyelid, my cheek, the edge of my jaw, the skin beneath my ear.
There was a loud tearing noise. We both froze.
Abruptly I was aware of the wall against my back, and the tremble in my thigh from hanging onto him like a demented spider monkey. I swallowed and blinked as Shinobu eased back, letting my feet drop to the pavement again. Our eyes met.
“What just…?” I asked.
He cleared his throat. “I think – my shirt.”
I looked down and saw that at some point I’d traded my grip on his hair for a handful of the T-shirt and jumper under his jacket. My fingers had gone straight through the thin wool and made a nice tear in the cotton beneath that too.
“Darn super-strength,” I muttered.
Shinobu’s lip twitched up at the corner again. I snatched my hand away from his ruined clothes and clapped it over his mouth. “No laughing at me,” I said, only half joking. “Not at a moment like this. Romance will die forever and it’ll be your fault.”
He peeled my hand off and pressed a kiss to my palm. “Where are we now? What is this place?”
“Um … Remnant Street, I think.”
“No. From now on it will be Paradise Street. Heaven Road. Happiness Avenue.”
“You big cheese-ball…” I muttered, putting my arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.
“What?”
“Never mind!” I grumped, then sighed. “I wish we could stay on Happiness Avenue a bit longer…”
“But we can’t,” he finished. “It is all right. I promise we will come back whenever you want.”
― Darkness Hidden
I was taller now, but not tall enough. Tiptoes didn’t bring me where I wanted to be either. I jumped and hauled myself up the steel pillar of his body, wrapping one leg around his hip. The big, warm hand on my waist slid slowly down the thin fabric of my trousers to cup my thigh, supporting my weight. His other hand was clenched in my hair. A wave of almost painful excitement and yearning crashed through me, and sent me into a full-body shudder that I had no chance of hiding. A tiny moan popped from my lips straight into his.
“Mio. Oh, Mio…” His shaking voice echoed in my ears, mixing with words in Japanese. I recognized some of them. My beloved. My Mio. He pressed his mouth to my eyelid, my cheek, the edge of my jaw, the skin beneath my ear.
There was a loud tearing noise. We both froze.
Abruptly I was aware of the wall against my back, and the tremble in my thigh from hanging onto him like a demented spider monkey. I swallowed and blinked as Shinobu eased back, letting my feet drop to the pavement again. Our eyes met.
“What just…?” I asked.
He cleared his throat. “I think – my shirt.”
I looked down and saw that at some point I’d traded my grip on his hair for a handful of the T-shirt and jumper under his jacket. My fingers had gone straight through the thin wool and made a nice tear in the cotton beneath that too.
“Darn super-strength,” I muttered.
Shinobu’s lip twitched up at the corner again. I snatched my hand away from his ruined clothes and clapped it over his mouth. “No laughing at me,” I said, only half joking. “Not at a moment like this. Romance will die forever and it’ll be your fault.”
He peeled my hand off and pressed a kiss to my palm. “Where are we now? What is this place?”
“Um … Remnant Street, I think.”
“No. From now on it will be Paradise Street. Heaven Road. Happiness Avenue.”
“You big cheese-ball…” I muttered, putting my arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.
“What?”
“Never mind!” I grumped, then sighed. “I wish we could stay on Happiness Avenue a bit longer…”
“But we can’t,” he finished. “It is all right. I promise we will come back whenever you want.”
― Darkness Hidden
“Hikaru did tell us last time that it could’ve been worse…” I muttered.
“My ears are burning,” a familiar voice called out dryly. “I hope you’re saying nice things about me.”
A glossy, copper-coated fox with a bright white blaze on his chest and a white-tipped tail was approaching us. His eyes – a vivid, unforgettable green that I’d never seen on any human, but which somehow looked perfectly natural on him, even like this – glinted at me.
Hikaru in his fox form.
I managed a smile for him. “We were just wondering if you’d managed to get out of those white leather trousers on your own, or if you needed help. And a shoehorn.”
“He is probably still wearing them, under the fur,” Shinobu said, dead-pan.
Hikaru let out a hoarse barking noise. Fox laughter. I took the opportunity to heave myself to my knees and look around properly.”
― Darkness Hidden
“My ears are burning,” a familiar voice called out dryly. “I hope you’re saying nice things about me.”
A glossy, copper-coated fox with a bright white blaze on his chest and a white-tipped tail was approaching us. His eyes – a vivid, unforgettable green that I’d never seen on any human, but which somehow looked perfectly natural on him, even like this – glinted at me.
Hikaru in his fox form.
I managed a smile for him. “We were just wondering if you’d managed to get out of those white leather trousers on your own, or if you needed help. And a shoehorn.”
“He is probably still wearing them, under the fur,” Shinobu said, dead-pan.
Hikaru let out a hoarse barking noise. Fox laughter. I took the opportunity to heave myself to my knees and look around properly.”
― Darkness Hidden
“The massive wardrobe, decorated with stickers and posters of Jack’s favourite bands, stood in the corner. I went to it and opened both the doors – then stepped back in amazement.
It was like something out of a fashion spread. Footwear was aligned in two perfectly straight lines along the bottom of the wardrobe, with boots at the back and shoes at the front. Each pair was polished and had a pair of socks folded up in the left shoe or boot. Above the shoes, Jack’s clothes were hung up on fancy padded hangers, organized by colour going from black through grey, white, pale pink, dark pink, purple and then blue. One quarter of the wardrobe was taken up with closet shelves, where every item, from T-shirts to jeans to scarves, was folded into a perfect geometric square that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve with two helpers, a ruler, and sticky tape.
I turned my head and looked at the chaos of the room. Then I looked back at the wardrobe.
No wonder she never let me see inside before.
“Jack, you big fat fake.” I let out a laugh that was half sob. “Look at this. Look! She’s the worst neat freak of them all, and I never even knew. I never even knew…”
Trying not to mess anything up too much, I searched through the neat piles of T-shirts until I found what seemed to be a plain, scoop-necked white top with short sleeves. I pulled it out, but when I unfolded it, there turned out to be a tattoo-style design on the front: a skull sitting on a bed of gleaming emeralds, with a green snake poking out of one eyehole. In Gothic lettering underneath, it read WELCOME TO MALFOY MANOR.
Typical Jack, I thought, hugging the shirt to my chest for a second. Pretending to be cool Slytherin when she’s actually swotty Ravenclaw through and through.”
― Darkness Hidden
It was like something out of a fashion spread. Footwear was aligned in two perfectly straight lines along the bottom of the wardrobe, with boots at the back and shoes at the front. Each pair was polished and had a pair of socks folded up in the left shoe or boot. Above the shoes, Jack’s clothes were hung up on fancy padded hangers, organized by colour going from black through grey, white, pale pink, dark pink, purple and then blue. One quarter of the wardrobe was taken up with closet shelves, where every item, from T-shirts to jeans to scarves, was folded into a perfect geometric square that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve with two helpers, a ruler, and sticky tape.
I turned my head and looked at the chaos of the room. Then I looked back at the wardrobe.
No wonder she never let me see inside before.
“Jack, you big fat fake.” I let out a laugh that was half sob. “Look at this. Look! She’s the worst neat freak of them all, and I never even knew. I never even knew…”
Trying not to mess anything up too much, I searched through the neat piles of T-shirts until I found what seemed to be a plain, scoop-necked white top with short sleeves. I pulled it out, but when I unfolded it, there turned out to be a tattoo-style design on the front: a skull sitting on a bed of gleaming emeralds, with a green snake poking out of one eyehole. In Gothic lettering underneath, it read WELCOME TO MALFOY MANOR.
Typical Jack, I thought, hugging the shirt to my chest for a second. Pretending to be cool Slytherin when she’s actually swotty Ravenclaw through and through.”
― Darkness Hidden
“He blew out a relieved breath. “You saved us both.”
“You’re welcome. But don’t think I didn’t notice your little bodyguard manoeuvre just now. You have to stop putting yourself between me and danger like that. I don’t need you to protect me any more.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up as his eyebrow lifted. He probably didn’t even know the phrase, Girl, please, but his expression said it for him.”
― Darkness Hidden
“You’re welcome. But don’t think I didn’t notice your little bodyguard manoeuvre just now. You have to stop putting yourself between me and danger like that. I don’t need you to protect me any more.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up as his eyebrow lifted. He probably didn’t even know the phrase, Girl, please, but his expression said it for him.”
― Darkness Hidden
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “Why did you go running off like that? Are you an idiot?”
“Let go!” She struggled, apparently not worried about the curious looks we were getting. “Leave me alone!”
“What do you mean leave you alone?” I hissed, hanging onto her arm doggedly. “What if another Foul Woman turns up, like the one that got Jack?”
She winced. Before I could apologize for my trademark sensitivity, she recovered and poked her finger at my face. “It’s none of your business what I do! I don’t answer to you, Mio Yamato. I’m an adult, for God’s sake! I’m nearly twenty-one years old.”
“Then start acting like it! We’re on the same side here. We are trying to help you.”
“How?” Her voice hit a pitch so shrill that it echoed even in the middle of all the deadening sounds of the city. We got a slew of horrified stares. Rachel didn’t seem to notice. “How? You have no idea what happened to me! You have no idea what’s still happening to me…”
All the fight seemed to drain right out of her. Her tense shoulders sagged and, to my horror, big, fat tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.
Well, crap.
Jack and me … we didn’t do this. We didn’t cry in front of each other. We didn’t do that Reality TV Big Emotional Moment stuff. It wasn’t us. If this ha
d been Rachel’s sister in front of me, I’d have known just how to handle it – let her turn away, let her get herself back together without trying to help. Jack would already have been sucking it up.
But this wasn’t Jack. And Rachel wasn’t sucking it up. She was just standing in front of me in the middle of a crowded London train station courtyard, with one arm wrapped around her middle like she was about to fall apart, crying silent, pathetic tears.
Shinobu’s face filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding. He made an abortive move to touch Rachel, then stopped and stepped back, as if realizing contact from him probably wouldn’t be welcome. “Then you must tell us, Rachel-san,” he said gently. “Trust us with your fears. Trust that we will listen and understand.”
He gave me an urgent look and mimed a hugging movement.
Thanks. Thanks a bunch.
Feeling stiff and uncomfortable, I put my arms around Rachel and patted her on the back. “Shush. It’s all right now. It’s all right.”
To my surprise she flopped against me, burying her head in my shoulder as she cried. It was like … like she’d just been waiting for someone to lean on all along. For the first time it really dawned on me that Rachel and Jack were different. Yeah, they had something of the same attitude, a lot of the same mannerisms, even looked alike if you ignored Jack’s goth thing – but they weren’t the same person. I needed to start seeing Rachel for who she was, not just Jack’s Big Sister.
I hugged her a bit tighter, and patted her back with a bit more enthusiasm. “I’m not going to pretend that I understand exactly how you’re feeling, because … you’re you, and only you can know that. But I can sympathize. Maybe I can even help. Please tell me what’s going on.”
― Darkness Hidden
“Let go!” She struggled, apparently not worried about the curious looks we were getting. “Leave me alone!”
“What do you mean leave you alone?” I hissed, hanging onto her arm doggedly. “What if another Foul Woman turns up, like the one that got Jack?”
She winced. Before I could apologize for my trademark sensitivity, she recovered and poked her finger at my face. “It’s none of your business what I do! I don’t answer to you, Mio Yamato. I’m an adult, for God’s sake! I’m nearly twenty-one years old.”
“Then start acting like it! We’re on the same side here. We are trying to help you.”
“How?” Her voice hit a pitch so shrill that it echoed even in the middle of all the deadening sounds of the city. We got a slew of horrified stares. Rachel didn’t seem to notice. “How? You have no idea what happened to me! You have no idea what’s still happening to me…”
All the fight seemed to drain right out of her. Her tense shoulders sagged and, to my horror, big, fat tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.
Well, crap.
Jack and me … we didn’t do this. We didn’t cry in front of each other. We didn’t do that Reality TV Big Emotional Moment stuff. It wasn’t us. If this ha
d been Rachel’s sister in front of me, I’d have known just how to handle it – let her turn away, let her get herself back together without trying to help. Jack would already have been sucking it up.
But this wasn’t Jack. And Rachel wasn’t sucking it up. She was just standing in front of me in the middle of a crowded London train station courtyard, with one arm wrapped around her middle like she was about to fall apart, crying silent, pathetic tears.
Shinobu’s face filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding. He made an abortive move to touch Rachel, then stopped and stepped back, as if realizing contact from him probably wouldn’t be welcome. “Then you must tell us, Rachel-san,” he said gently. “Trust us with your fears. Trust that we will listen and understand.”
He gave me an urgent look and mimed a hugging movement.
Thanks. Thanks a bunch.
Feeling stiff and uncomfortable, I put my arms around Rachel and patted her on the back. “Shush. It’s all right now. It’s all right.”
To my surprise she flopped against me, burying her head in my shoulder as she cried. It was like … like she’d just been waiting for someone to lean on all along. For the first time it really dawned on me that Rachel and Jack were different. Yeah, they had something of the same attitude, a lot of the same mannerisms, even looked alike if you ignored Jack’s goth thing – but they weren’t the same person. I needed to start seeing Rachel for who she was, not just Jack’s Big Sister.
I hugged her a bit tighter, and patted her back with a bit more enthusiasm. “I’m not going to pretend that I understand exactly how you’re feeling, because … you’re you, and only you can know that. But I can sympathize. Maybe I can even help. Please tell me what’s going on.”
― Darkness Hidden
“I definitely got that. I’d been just where she was, and only a few hours ago. Which made it easy to get the fact that however freaked out I’d been about what I’d seen Rachel do, Rachel was freaked out squared. With a cherry on top.”
― Darkness Hidden
― Darkness Hidden
