How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I worked up to my knees, my elbows, making small movements against Cole's body. But where I tried to separate my legs from his, the skin stung. It was as if we had been sewn together, and I was ripping us apart. (P.16)
After the Feed, Nikki's emotions are depleted, but she still feels pain. In fact, the pain of separating her body from Cole's is pretty darn intense. We guess that's what happens when you spend a century bound to someone inside a cocoon of energy-sucking shadows.
Quote #2
He sighed. "I'll tell you this much, Nik, you may have survived a century in the Everneath, but you won't last six months on the Surface. You'll be begging me to take you away again. I promise. There's too much pain for you here." (3.84)
Cole is just a ray of sunshine, isn't he? He tells Nikki that there's a world of pain waiting for her on the Surface. And you know what? He turns out to be right. Having to face the consequences of her decision to disappear is really rough on Nikki. But she knows she made the right choice in Returning, despite all the suffering it causes her.
Quote #3
The trial was set to start in a few weeks, and I'd been avoiding any news about it. A fresh wave of grief washed over me, and I stared hard at the shiny metal surface of the table, trying not to cry. (10.95)
Nikki's not dealing so well with her mom's death. The emotional pain is still fresh, even months later, and the fact that she hasn't entirely coped with her grief makes her a prime target for Cole, who feeds on these kinds of emotions.