Tag Archives: Nora Roberts

Assholes Remain Assholes

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“I don’t understand it,” Katie went on. “A few months ago, people were literally dying in the street. Every one of us lost family, friends, neighbors. We’re all we have left, but people like the Mercers, like Kurt Rove, belittle and bad-talk those of us who, well, have something that might help get all of us through. Because they’re different.”

“I have a theory,” Arlys began. “Major, monumental crises bring out the best or the worst in us — sometimes both. And sometimes those major, monumental crises have no effect on certain types. Which means, no matter what the circumstances, assholes remain assholes.”

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

Freaking Awesome

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Saw the light shimmer around him , heard the voice clear and cool in his head . I’m Flynn .

“His name is Flynn.”

“Huh? How do you know?”

“He just told me. He has elfin blood.”

“He has … He’s an elf?” Mouth gaping open, Eddie swiveled around to look back . “Like , you know , Will Ferrell in the movie?”

With a delight he’d all but forgotten,  Max laughed. “Christ, Eddie, you never fail me. No , not like that. He’s magickal, and I have a strong feeling if we’d had any thoughts about causing trouble back there, we wouldn’t be driving away with supplies and propane.”

“Ain’t that some shit? I met a fucking elf. Well, I guess he’ll be all right then . And he’s got that big dog, too.”

“That’s not a dog. His name says what he is. Lupa. Wolf.”

“Now you’re shitting me. You’re not shitting me,” Eddie realized . “I gave a Milk-Bone to a wolf? I petted a wolf? That is freaking awesome! ”

“It’s a brave new world , Eddie.” Max made the turn at the bend . “It’s a brave new fucking world.”

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

Prepare For The Worst

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“You do whatever you can to get to Chuck . If he doesn’t show by five , find a safe place . Find more like you, Fred, and get out.”

“Would you leave me behind?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not telling the truth. I can hear it in your voice . We’re both going to get to Chuck. You have to think of the positive, of the light, or the dark takes over.”

You have to prepare for the worst, Arlys thought, the incomprehensible worst or you could die in the dark.

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

Colleague With a Gun

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When she’d been a fledgling reporter with dreams of conducting hard-hitting , insightful interviews with heads of state, Arlys had imagined herself in life-and-death situations, and how her courageous and intrepid on-the-spot reporting would impact the nation. Now, as she faced a drunk, potentially crazy colleague with a gun, her mind went blank. Panic sweat rolled greasily down her spine.

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

Don’t Doubt Yourself

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“Are we human?”

“Of course we are.” To comfort both of them, he covered her hand with his. “Don’t let the fear and suspicion of the brutal and ignorant make you doubt yourself . We’ll get out of Manhattan, and then we’ll head north, north and west, until we find a clear way over the river . The farther away from urban areas , the better the chances.”

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

There Are Lines

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She started to put on the cashmere coat — blue as her eyes — he’d given her for Christmas , but at his head shake , switched to her parka . At least he didn’t quibble about the cashmere scarf she wrapped around her neck . He helped her shoulder her backpack. “Can you handle it?”

She made a fist, bent her arm at the elbow . “I’m an urbanite who uses the gym . Or used to.” With it , she picked up her purse, put it on cross – body .

“Lana , you don’t need — ”

“I’m leaving my food processor, my Dutch oven , my worn exactly once Louboutin over – the – knee boots , but I’m not leaving without my purse.” Rolling her shoulders to adjust the pack, she gave him a steady, challenging stare. “Doom or no Doom, there are lines, Max . There are lines.”

“Were those the boots you walked into my office wearing — with one of my shirts?”

“Right . That makes worn twice.”

“I’ll miss them as much as you .”

It was good , she thought, good they’d made each other smile before they left their home .

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

Busy Dying

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Plastic barriers , latex gloves , surgical masks ? The Doom scoffed at all and gleefully spread its poisons . In the second week of the New Year , the death toll topped ten million and showed no sign of abating . Though his illness went unreported , and his death was kept secret for nearly two days , the President of the United States succumbed . Those heads of state fell like dominoes . Despite extreme precautions , they proved just as susceptible as the homeless , the panicked , the churchgoer , the atheist , the priest , and the sinner . In its wave through D.C . in the third week of the Doom , more than sixty percent of Congress lay dead or dying , along with more than a billion others worldwide . With the government in chaos, new fears of terrorist attacks lit fires. But terrorists were as busy dying as the rest. Urban areas became war zones , with thinning police forces fighting against survivors who looked at the end of humanity as an opportunity for blood and brutality. Or profit .

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts

Watching Death Enter

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But Jonah knew death when he saw it . Sometimes he could feel it . He tried not to — it could get in the way of the work — tried to block out that knowing . Like , sometimes he knew that some guy who brushed by him on the street had cancer . Or some kid running by would fall off his bike that very afternoon and end up with a greenstick fracture of his right wrist . Sometimes he even knew the kid’s name , his age , where he lived . It could be that specific , so he’d made it a kind of game for a while . But it spooked him , so he stopped . With MacLeod , the knowing came on fast and strong , wouldn’t let him block it out . Worse , this came with something new . A seeing . The seizure had stopped by the time he and Patti Ann had arrived but , as he worked and called out details for Patti Ann to radio in , Jonah could see the patient in bed , rolling over , vomiting on the floor . Calling for help before he fell out of bed and began to convulse . He could see the wife rushing in , hear her voice as she cried out . He could hear it , see it all as if watching it on a big screen . And he didn’t fucking like it . When they rolled up to the ambulance bay , he did his best to turn off that screen , to do whatever he could to help save the life he knew was already gone .

–Year One (Chronicles of The One) by Nora Roberts