Lina loved her little sister so much that it was like an ache under her ribs.

Lina couldn't sleep at first, thinking of the old songs and what they meant. Someone, long ago, had hoped that at least a few people would survive and had wanted them to remember her city and the treasure it held, the treasure that was most valuable of all - herself, her family, and all of the generations of people who had lived in that secret place, their purpose, though they didn't know it, to make sure that human beings did not vanish from the world, no matter what happened above.

What could be more interesting than thinking of mysterious happenings, finding the answers to intriguing questions, and making up new worlds?

Now Doon seemed to care for his new friends more than he did for her. Every time she thought about him she felt a thud of pain, like a bruised place inside her.

Why, if its going to be allright, do we see it getting worse every day?

Maybe there was no happily ever after [...] but there was happiness sometimes and she had it now, doing what she knew she was born for.

Unintended consequences, he thought miserably. He was angry at his anger, the way it surged up and took over.