Grace Reid

“Is this what’s going to make you happy?’
‘How different everything could have been, if you had thought to ask me that before.”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless

“Name one hero who was happy."
I considered. Heracles went mad and killed his family; Theseus lost his bride and father; Jason's children and new wife were murdered by his old; Bellerophon killed the Chimera but was crippled by the fall from Pegasus' back.
"You can't." He was sitting up now, leaning forward.
"I can't."
"I know. They never let you be famous AND happy." He lifted an eyebrow. "I'll tell you a secret."
"Tell me." I loved it when he was like this.
"I'm going to be the first." He took my palm and held it to his. "Swear it."
"Why me?"
"Because you're the reason. Swear it."
"I swear it," I said, lost in the high color of his cheeks, the flame in his eyes.
"I swear it," he echoed.
We sat like that a moment, hands touching. He grinned.
"I feel like I could eat the world raw.”
― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

“Can’t you see that it just goes on, over and over? The gods demand their justice, but we suffer for it, every time.”
― Jennifer Saint, Elektra

“What was the loss of a parent compared to that of a daughter? I didn’t want him here, comparing his grief to mine.”
― Jennifer Saint, Elektra