Kristalia > Books: age-mature-young-adult‎ (156)

“There’s no such thing as karma [...] Or, if it does exist, it sure doesn’t give a shit about people like me. Some of us were b

“There’s no such thing as karma [...] Or, if it does exist, it sure doesn’t give a shit about people like me. Some of us were born to be used and discarded. We can’t afford to simply go along with the flow of life, because nothing in this world has been created, built, or set up in our favor. If we want something, we have to push back against everything around us and take it by force.”

Too bad. I am exactly the kind of ice-blooded, rotten-hearted girl he fears I am. And I am fine with that.
May he stay unsettled.

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Adair mumbled, “However, if you want to win against Captain, you do lack one certain characteristic, and that’s being desp

Adair mumbled, “However, if you want to win against Captain, you do lack one certain characteristic, and that’s being despicable… cough, cough, and shameless… cough! In this area, you will probably never win against Captain.”
Elaro laughed. “It’s true that I can’t win against my teacher in that area.”

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The Twelve Holy Knights remain unchanged through the generations.
And the la

The Twelve Holy Knights remain unchanged through the generations.
And the law and justice they represent will forever remain unchanged as well.
Even when everything else changes with time... some things will never change.
The Sun Knight will never change.
The eleven brothers standing by his side will never change either,
A little pretense in exchange for eleven brothers, what a good deal!

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“Lesus, the first time I cast Resurrection, I lost my eyes, the Sun Knight’s blue eyes. The second time was the Sun Knight’s golden hair. The third time even my affinity for the holy element disappeared. What do you think the God of Light means?”

“But Sun is definitely not a weak and useless person! He chooses to take responsibility, and sometimes he even takes on too much. He uses everything in his power to prevent the people he cares about from getting hurt. But you, the Demon King, are a person who chooses to run away.”

“At the time, Knight-Captain Storm and the others had all returned, yet you had not. Because of that, I felt somewhat… lost, so I did not particularly notice him.”

“Well, perhaps it was because of your brilliant smile!”

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Blaze and Leaf instantly rushed out of the room, while Earth gave a sigh, and idly said, “It’s one thing after another. The

Blaze and Leaf instantly rushed out of the room, while Earth gave a sigh, and idly said, “It’s one thing after another. The Demon King is coming, Sun is broken. This time it really is the end of the world!”

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What does it matter if I can’t learn any sword skills?
Even if I’m not like my teacher, the strongest Sun Knight in history,

What does it matter if I can’t learn any sword skills?
Even if I’m not like my teacher, the strongest Sun Knight in history, my Twelve Holy Knights strengthened with my holy spells will become “The Strongest Twelve Holy Knights in history”!
There is nothing in the world that can bypass them to harm me! Even if I can’t use a sword, there is nothing worth my fear!

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“Also, as to why I was so determined to train a spell caster into a knight, there is another very important reason.”
Heari

“Also, as to why I was so determined to train a spell caster into a knight, there is another very important reason.”
Hearing that, the green-cloaked traveler asked seriously, “Why is that?”
The gray-cloaked traveler turned around and looked gravely at his companion. He explained slowly and painfully, “Because, back then, I forgot to choose a back-up knight!”

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“Yeah!” Ed, who was behind him suddenly cut in. “No matter how weird he is, he can’t be as weird as our captain!”
…Has it really been so long since I last kicked someone down the cliff?

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“From now on, the Sun Knight Platoon will have to run one round within the walls of the city every morning!” I said fiercely

“From now on, the Sun Knight Platoon will have to run one round within the walls of the city every morning!” I said fiercely.
Upon receiving the order, Adair was stunned and his expression seemed to be a bit troubled.
“What? You can’t do it? Are you still fit to be called knights?” On the surface, I was roaring with much energy, but in my heart I was a bit unsettled. How far is a round within the city walls? Maybe it’s too far?
All of the Sun Knight Platoon members went silent.
Looking at this situation, maybe one round within the city really is very far. Should I cut it to half a round? But I have already set the command, so how am I to take it back…
At this moment, Ed seemed to have gathered up his courage as he said, “Captain, when you first met us five years ago you had set a command for us to run five rounds. Then three years ago you became angry when our physical performance lost to the Judgment Knight Platoon so you commanded us to run three rounds. At that time, Adair thought that you meant to add three rounds, so we have been running eight rounds for the past three years. Now…”
“…Now what I meant is add one more round, is there a problem?”

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““Remember, child, no matter what the circumstances are, the Sun Knight is always perfect!”
Additional information: “Child, e

““Remember, child, no matter what the circumstances are, the Sun Knight is always perfect!”
Additional information: “Child, even if you’ve unintentionally discovered the Sun Knight’s imperfection, you had better just admit that he’s perfect unless you want to experience his imperfection yourself.”

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Harris sighed. “It’s a strange world, Mr. Hart. I’ll always fight for the promise of an easier tomorrow. Right or wrong, se

Harris sighed. “It’s a strange world, Mr. Hart. I’ll always fight for the promise of an easier tomorrow. Right or wrong, selfish or not, this is what we want.” He nodded to himself. “And that’s enough. Whatever it takes.”
“Whatever it takes,” Danny agreed, touching the cog in his pocket.

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“Half an hour ago.” Danny groaned, and the man laughed again. “You’re handy with the clock, and that’s what matters.” The man nodded to Colton, who was now standing beside Danny. “Good work, son.”
Colton waited for the man to walk away before he asked Danny, “Why does he call me son when I’m not his son?”
“It’s just an expression. It means he likes you. They all do.”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I can’t wait for you this time.”

“I missed you,” Castor whispered.
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“You’re so cruel. It’s been ages.”
“A generation.”
“A century.”
“An olympiad.”
“A beelenium.”

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There was no one on the street or on the village green behind him. Overcome by sudden giddiness, Danny struck a gallant po

There was no one on the street or on the village green behind him. Overcome by sudden giddiness, Danny struck a gallant pose. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your fair hair!”
Colton grinned and shook his bright blond locks. “Too short for that, I’m afraid. You’ll have to use the door.”
“That’s not very romantic.”

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“It’s sad and happy at the same time,” the spirit said. “Rain.” When Danny nodded, Colton asked, “Why do you talk that way about yourself? You don’t deserve it.”
“Maybe I do.” He thought about stealing Daphne’s assignment. “Maybe I’m a villain and don’t deserve a happy ending.” Danny chipped his thumbnail against a splinter in the window frame. “I’m no prince, that’s for sure. I’m not handsome or special or any of that. I’m hopeless.”
“That’s not true,” Colton said. “You’re everything. You’re … You’re chaos and order and everything in between. Like sunshine kept back by clouds. Like the entire world’s imploded inside you, but all I see are the stars are sewn into your skin. You’re filled with soft, dark music.” His smile was gentle. “I hear it all the time. Your music.”
A timid heat rose inside him. Danny’s thumb kept chipping at that splinter, eyes fixed on its point. “What does it sound like?”
Colton’s eyes drifted back out the window. “It sounds like rain.”

“No, I won’t get in trouble.”
Colton’s face brightened, shining like the clock face above them. He followed the trail Danny’s eyes had made across the clockwork a moment earlier. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“What’s that?”
“I’m off by about four minutes.”
Danny blinked, then smiled. Colton sounded like a boy who had just admitted to trampling his mother’s prized flowers.
“Don’t worry, I’ll fix that, too.”

His realm was Enfield. He could never leave, never experience the things that people were free to have—were lucky to have. A prisoner locked inside a tower.

“I want …” Colton paused, then shook his head. “Well, it doesn’t matter what I want. Still,” he said, his voice distant as he turned back to the window, “it would be something, being in another place.”
A spark of an idea caught tinder. “Where would you most like to go?”
“I don’t know. I only know the names of what’s around Enfield—London, the towns. I know nothing about the world. Enfield is my world.”
It was the saddest thing Danny had ever heard. “How about this: when I come next time, I’ll bring the world to you.”
Though he didn’t understand, Colton looked interested. “Is that possible?”
“Anything is possible.”

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“Don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone. Be anyone but himself, and ne

“Don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone. Be anyone but himself, and never be anyone for too long.”

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People really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surpris

People really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.

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“So, what’s the point of the fake name?” he asks.
Well. I’d say the point of the fake name was to keep people like Martin Addison from knowing my secret identity. So I guess that worked out brilliantly.
I guess he must have seen me sitting at the computer.
And I guess I’m a monumental idiot.
(...)
Except it’s a little bit of a disaster, actually. Or possibly an epic fuckstorm of a disaster, depending on whether Martin can keep his mouth shut.

But eventually I noticed Nick switching seats with Bram Greenfeld at lunch—calculated switching, designed to maximize his odds of sitting near Abby. And then the eyes. The famous Nick Eisner lingering, lovesick eyes. We’d been down that vomit-inducing road before with Amy Everett at the end of freshman year. Though, I have to admit there’s something fascinating about Nick’s nervous intensity when he likes someone.
When Leah sees that look pass across Nick’s face, she just shuts down.
Which means there’s actually one good reason for being Martin Addison’s wingman matchmaker bitch. If Martin and Abby hook up, maybe the Nick problem will just go away. Then Leah can chill the heck out, and equilibrium will be restored.
So it’s not just about me and my secrets. It’s hardly about me at all.

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“Anyway,” he says, “it’s pretty obvious that you don’t want people to know.”
I mean. I guess I don’t. Except the whole coming out thing doesn’t really scare me.
I don’t think it scares me.
It’s a giant holy box of awkwardness, and I won’t pretend I’m looking forward to it. But it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world. Not for me.
The problem is, I don’t know what it would mean for Blue. If Martin were to tell anyone. The thing about Blue is that he’s kind of a private person. The kind of person who wouldn’t forget to log out of his email. The kind of person who might never forgive me for being so totally careless.
So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t know what it would mean for us. For Blue and me.

He’s someone. He may even be someone I know. But I don’t know who. And I’m not sure I want to know.

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I mean, he is a real junior at Creekwood. I know that. But in a way, he lives in my laptop. It’s hard to explain. I was the one who found him. On the Tumblr, of all places.

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I guess it was about loneliness. And it’s funny, because I don’t really think of myself as lonely. But there was something so familiar about the way Blue described the feeling. It was like he had pulled the ideas from my head.
Like the way you can memorize someone’s gestures but never know their thoughts. And the feeling that people are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows.
The way you can feel so exposed anyway.

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He talked about the ocean between people. And how the whole point of everything is to find a shore worth swimming to.

“Si, did you see Nick playing guitar outside the atrium?”
“Sounds like Nick’s trying to get a girlfriend,” says my mom.
That’s funny, Mom, because get this. I’m actually trying to prevent Nick from getting the girl he likes, so Martin Addison won’t tell the whole school I’m gay. Did I mention I’m gay?
I mean, how do people even begin with this stuff?

But I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.

I feel a storm of laughter brewing. “You think I like Leah.”
“I don’t know,” she says, smiling and shrugging. “You looked so sweet together tonight.”
“Me and Leah?” I ask. But I’m gay. GAY. Gaaaaaaaayyyyy.

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So here’s the thing: Simon means “the one who hears” and Spier means “the one who watches.” Which means I was basically destined to be nosy.

So, I keep thinking about the idea of secret identities. Do you ever feel locked into yourself? I’m not sure if I’m making sense here. I guess what I mean is that sometimes it seems like everyone knows who I am except me.
—Jacques

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I completely understand what you mean about feeling locked into yourself. For me, I don’t even think it has anything to do with other people thinking they know me. It’s more that I want to leap in and say certain things and do certain things, but I always seem to hold myself back. I think a big part of me is afraid. Even thinking about it makes me nauseated.
—Blue

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I think I made you uncomfortable, and I’m really, really sorry. I’m kind of a nosy person. It’s always been a problem. I’m so sorry, Blue. I know I sound like a broken record. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this outright, but our emails are really important to me. I would never forgive myself if I fucked this up. Effed this up. Sorry, I don’t even know if you cuss.
—Jacques

I fall a little bit in love with everyone. Even Taylor.
Even Martin. He smiles at me when he catches my eye, and I really just have to grin back at him. He’s such a freaking asswipe, seriously, but he’s just so gangly and fidgety and ridiculous. It takes some of the passion out of hating him.

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“It’s a dementor robe over my clothes. I think you’ll survive.”
“What’s a dementor?”
I mean, I can’t even. “Nora, you are no longer my sister.”
“So it’s some Harry Potter thing,” she says.

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“And a beer for—whatever the hell you’re supposed to be.”
“A dementor,” I say.
“What in God’s holy name is that?”
“A dementor? From Harry Potter?”
“Well, put your hood back, for the love of Jesus. And who are you supposed to be?”
“Kim Kardashian,” says Leah, just completely deadpan.
Garrett looks confused.
“Tohru from Fruits Basket.”
“I . . .”
“It’s a manga,” she says.
“Ah.”

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My voice sounds thin and high. Like Voldemort. I can’t believe I’m doing this.

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“I had no idea your eyes were so gray,” Leah says. She turns to Nick, incredulously. “Did you know?”
“I did not,” Nick affirms.
“Like, they’re kind of charcoal around the edges,” she says, “and lighter in the middle, and then almost silver around the pupil. But dark silver.”
“Fifty shades of gray,” says Abby.
“Gross,” Leah says, and she and Abby exchange smiles.

► MEMORABLE QUOTES:

It’s weird, because Blue’s emails used to be this extra thing that was separate from my actual life. But now I think maybe the emails are my life. Everything else sort of feels like I’m slogging through a dream.

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I HAVE TO MEET HIM.
I don’t think I can keep this up. I don’t care if it ruins everything. I’m this close to making out with my laptop screen.
Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue.
Seriously, I feel like I’m about to combust.
I spend the entire school day with my stomach in knots, and it’s completely pointless, because it’s not attached to anything real. Because, really, it’s just words on a screen. I don’t even know his freaking name.
I think I’m a little bit in love with him.

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I’m too busy trying not to be in love with someone who isn’t real.

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White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn’t even be a default.

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“I like no endings,” I say. “I like things that don’t end.”

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But maybe this is a big deal. Maybe it’s a holy freaking huge awesome deal.
Maybe I want it to be.

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Loneliness is a funny disease. You don’t realize how badly you’re infected until someone gives you a shot of content

Loneliness is a funny disease. You don’t realize how badly you’re infected until someone gives you a shot of contentment—and then it wears off.

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"We’ve got an audience."

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His hands don’t move, but he looks up at the sky as if searching for answers. “Everything is upside down,” he says.
I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. “I don’t know what you mean.”
His eyes return to mine. “This,” he says, as if that explains everything. “All of this.”

“I hate that, you know. I get enough people telling me how to dress, how to act, and especially when to eat. This is my life, okay? You don’t need to protect me.”

He lets go of me to press the heel of one hand to his forehead. “I’ve never had an entire town hate me. I’ve never been so . . . alone.” He says it matter-of-factly, not self-pitying at all. The words aren’t empty, though. For an instant, the emotion in his gaze is so potent that it feels like it might leach into me and start a round of tears again. His eyes hold mine, and his voice is quiet and low. “I’ve never given a girl a reason to be afraid of me.”

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“To clever plans,” said Kell, toasting his brother. “And dashing princes.”
“To masked magicians,” said Rhy, swiping the wine.

“To clever plans,” said Kell, toasting his brother. “And dashing princes.”
“To masked magicians,” said Rhy, swiping the wine.
“To mad ideas.”
“To the Essen Tasch.”
“Wouldn’t it be amazing,” murmured Rhy later, when the bottle was empty, “if we got away with it?”
“Who knows,” said Kell. “We just might.”

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“Why am I the only one in this fucking world to be held accountable for my actions?”

Magic is tangled, so you must be smooth.
Magic is wild, so you must be tame.
Magic is chaos, so you must be calm.
Are you calm, Kell?(...)
Tieren’s soothing voice faded from his head, and Holland’s cold tone took its place.
Do you know what makes you weak?
You’ve never had to be strong.
You’ve never had to try.
You’ve never had to fight.
And you’ve certainly never had to fight for your life.(...)
But there were still more shadows. Always more.

You could still run, said a voice in his ear. It sounded suspiciously like Lila.(...)
You could take what you need, said the voice.
It was a very big world. And he’d never even seen it.(...)
You could be free, insisted the voice.
But that was the thing. Kell would never be free. No matter how far he fled. He’d given up freedom with his life, when he handed it to Rhy.

Delilah Bard. She did that, crept into his thoughts and robbed him of focus, like a thief. Which was exactly what she was. What she’d been, before he let her out of her world, and into his. Saints knew what—or where—she was these days, but in his mind she would always be the thief, stealing through at the most inopportune moments.

✕✕✕

When Kell thought of her, she was not one girl, but three: the too-skinny street thief who’d robbed him in an alley, the blood-streaked partner who’d fought beside him, and the impossible girl who’d walked away and never looked back.
Where are you, Lila, he mused. And what kind of trouble are you getting into?

✕✕✕

“I know it’s mad, but for a second I thought it was …”
“Saints, you’re seeing her in everyone and everything now, Kell? There’s a word for that.”
“Hallucination?”
“Infatuation.”
Kell snorted. “I’m not infatuated,” he said. “I just …” He just wanted to see her. “Our paths crossed one time. Months ago. It happens.”
“Oh yes, your relationship with Miss Bard is positively ordinary.”
“Be quiet.”
“Crossing worlds, killing royals, saving cities. The marks of every good courtship.”
“We weren’t courting,” snapped Kell. “In case you forgot, she left.”

My life is his life. His life is mine. Bring him back.

A languorous smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You chose it because you knew I would be miserable here and more likely to cave when you offered to take me someplace else.”
“And?”
“And you greatly underestimate my capacity for suffering.”

But just because he could, because it felt good to be in control, to be the strongest, to know that when it came down to it, he would be the one left standing. (...)
They already thought he was a monster, and now he’d gone and given the fears weight, which would just make everything worse. But it didn’t matter; nothing he did seemed to make it better.

Kell used to feel like a possession. Now he felt like a prisoner.

But when it came to nights and mornings and the dreams between, Rhy and Kell had quickly developed a silent understanding. After a bad night, one would give the other a small, consoling look, but it seemed crucially important that nothing actually be said about the nightmares that plagued them both.

Kell looked at his brother with a mixture of surprise and awe. “You know,” he said, taking up the mask, “if you can rule half as well as you can lie, you’re going to make an incredible king.”

It didn’t matter if it was true—their neighbors were always searching for a weakness, because ruling an empire was about strength. Which was really the image of strength. The Essen Tasch was the perfect pedestal for such a display.
A chance for Arnes to shine.
A chance for Rhy to shine, not only as a jewel, but as a sword. He had always been a symbol of wealth. He wanted to be a symbol of power. Magic was power, of course, but it wasn’t the only kind. Rhy told himself he could still be strong without it.

“Father,” said Rhy, “if you don’t forgive Kell, you will lose him.”

Kell nodded. “You wanted strength.”
“I still want it,” Rhy whispered. “Every day. I wake up wanting to be a stronger person. A better prince. A worthy king. That want, it’s like a fire in my chest. And then, there are these moments, these horrible, icy moments when I remember what I did …” His hand drifted to his heart. “To myself. To you. To my kingdom. And it hurts….” His voice trembled. “More than dying ever did. There are days when I don’t feel like I deserve this.” He tapped the soul seal. “I deserve to be …” He trailed off, but Kell could feel his brother’s pain, as though it were a physical thing.
“I guess what I’m trying to say,” said Rhy, “is that I need this, too.” His eyes finally found Kell’s. “Okay?”
Kell swallowed. “Okay.” He took up the bottle.

“Kell. My greatest fear in life isn’t dying. It’s being the source of someone else’s suffering. I know you feel trapped. I know I’m your cage. And I can’t—” His voice broke, and Kell could feel his brother’s pain, everything he tried to smother until dark and drown until morning. “You will do this,” said Rhy. “For me. For both of us.”
Kell held his brother’s gaze. “All right,” he said.

Kell shook his head. “Come on, then,” he said, slinging his arm around the prince’s shoulder. “I’ll defend you.”
“My hero.”

I am Delilah Bard, she thought. Pirate, thief, magician.
Her fingertips began to thrum.
I have crossed worlds and taken ships. Fought queens and saved cities.
Her bones shuddered and her blood raced.
I am one of a kind.

“Ta vasar mas eran gast.”
You killed my best thief. (...)
Lila had an idea. It was a very stupid idea. But a stupid idea was better than no idea, at least in theory. So she dragged the words into shape and delivered them with her sharpest smile. “Nas,” she said, slowly. “An to eran gast.”
No. I am your best thief.

The flames spread until they coated the blades from hilt to tip, burning with golden light.
This she hadn’t seen anyone do.
What am I? One of a kind.
They said the same thing about Kell.
The Red messenger.
The black-eyed prince.
The last Antari.
But as she twirled the fire-slicked knives in her fingers, she couldn’t help but wonder …
Were they really one of a kind, or two?

She wanted to know the truth. Who was Delilah Bard? What was she? The first was a question she thought she knew the answer to, but the second … she’d tried not to bother with it, but as Kell had pointed out so many times, she shouldn’t be here. Shouldn’t be alive, for that matter. She bent most of the rules. She broke the rest. And she wanted to know why. How. If she was just a blip in the universe, an anomaly, or something more.

“Then how did you escape?”
The sapphire winked above his eye. “Who says I did?”

At the other end of the table, Alucard boasted and cheered and drank with his crew, and Lila marveled at the way the man shifted to fit his environment. She knew how to adapt well enough, but Alucard knew how to transform. Back on the Spire, he was not only captain but king. Here at this table, surrounded by his men, he was one of them. Still the boss, always the boss, but not so far above the rest. This Alucard took pains to laugh as loud as Tav and flirt almost as much as Vasry, and slosh his ale like Olo, even though Lila had seen him fuss whenever she spilled water or wine in his cabin.

“You will be fine, Ojka, so long as you are strong enough.”
And if I am not?
She didn’t think she’d said the words aloud, but the king heard her either way.
“Then you will be lost, and so will I.”

What do you want, (view spoiler)[Antari (hide spoiler)]?
He tried to steel his mind against the question, but answers poured through like smoke. To live. To be free. And then he thought of his world, starving for power, for life. Thought of it dying—not like this place, but slowly, painfully.
What do you want, (view spoiler)[Holland (hide spoiler)]?
He wanted to save his world. Behind his eyes, the image began to change as London—his London—came back to life. He saw himself on the throne, staring up through a roofless palace at a bright blue sky, the warmth of the sun against his skin, and— (...)
Would he never be free?
He closed his eyes, and he was back on that throne, gazing up at that wondrous sky.

He had chosen her, and she would not let him down. Just like in the prophecies, their savior had come. And she would be there at his side.

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Run.
Run home.
Run.
Run home.
Run.

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“I see you taking steps down this path, and I don’t want you be lost to that darkness.” He laughed and bore the most

“I see you taking steps down this path, and I don’t want you be lost to that darkness.” He laughed and bore the most unfiltered sorrow she had ever seen from him. “What is worse is, thanks to the extraordinary wisdom of the people’s Senate, I cannot protect you from that.”
“So, what do I do?” Vhalla finally sought guidance for her guilt.
“Never forget who you are, and do not let the dead define you.”

► STORY:

► CHARACTERS:

“Vhalla Yarl, blessed bird of the East. The one who can soar without wings. The first chick to fly the cage. The first to return to our land.”

“You’re not someone to live in darkness or sorrow.” Larel reclined on the bed, inviting Vhalla to do the same. “You’re a light that can shine brighter than even the sun.”
“That sounds treasonous,” Vhalla teased.
“I mean it all the same.” Larel leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Vhalla’s a brief moment. “You have something in you, Vhalla, something most never have or lose quickly. I cannot wait to see when you realize it yourself.”

“I think,” she started softly, “that I like playing with fire.”

“I just need to really understand what it’s like to have someone whom-whom I trust.” Aldrik avoided her gaze, scowling at himself. “Someone who knows my dark truths and who isn’t seeking something from me or is trying to use something against me.”

“You know your place in life, your duty to your people.” Vhalla didn’t like where Lord Ophain was headed with his logic. “Someday you will be Emperor and no one will be able to question your decisions. No one will question them if they feel that your law comes from a place of honor, sensibility, and compassion. The crown is a heavy burden and you will have to make choices between your wants and your Empire.”

“They love me because I never have to heap punishments upon them, or carry out executions, or levy taxes. I host parties and open casks of wine.” Baldair shook his head. “They don’t like him because Aldrik will be a fair ruler. He doesn’t care about being loved, he cares about doing what’s right.”
“And what’s wrong with—”
(view spoiler)[“Until you.” Baldair placed his palm on the top of her head. “You’re the first thing I’ve ever seen him want to take for himself.”
“What’s your point?” Vhalla knew already she wasn’t going to like it.
“That it also means that you are the first thing the world knows it can take from him.” (hide spoiler)]

“There are many kinds of love,” Larel said.
“Are there?”
“Do you love Aldrik as you love your father?” A grin was in Larel’s voice.
“Family is different!” Vhalla pushed the other woman’s shoulder.
“I love you,” Larel said softly, stilling Vhalla. The Western woman leaned close, placing a gentle kiss on Vhalla’s forehead. “I don’t love you as a lover. But I love you wholly and completely nonetheless.” Vhalla suddenly felt like crying. (view spoiler)[“And I love Aldrik—but as my friend; I didn’t and don’t want him between the sheets. When I kissed him, it was strange, awkward; there was nothing to it other than a kiss.” (hide spoiler)]

Fritz squeaked. He seemed to vibrate with excitement. “Tell—us—everything.” He punctuated his words, making each a demand.
“She doesn’t have to tell us anything,” Larel scolded. He whimpered at the other woman.

“So then, if you didn’t share his bed ... what did you do?” Fritz seemed genuinely confused.
“He worked, some magic,” Vhalla outlined vaguely.
“You’re adorable,” Larel said knowingly, earning a look from her and Fritz.

Larel’s fist smashed through Fritz’s face, and his body dissolved in a puff of smoke. The Western woman turned with a groan. Vhalla caught a shift in the light behind her. There was a flash of ice and Fritz faded back to sight, holding an ice dagger at Larel’s throat.
“Every time!” Larel threw up her hands, and Fritz backed away with a grin, tossing the wickedly sharp icicle aside. “Every time!” she said again, kicking the ground in frustration.

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