Grace Draven > Quotes

“This should never have happened, Brishen. We were unimportant, you and I. We weren't supposed to mean anything to anyone."
"Woman of day," he said slowly. "You mean everything to me.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“You make a very handsome dead eel, my husband,”
“For a boiled mollusk, you wear black quite well, my wife,”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“You have done an unwise thing, Martise of Asher,” he said softly. “You’ve caught my interest.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“I would have been content to live my life as just Brishen,” he whispered into her hair.  “Who was loved by Ildiko.”
― Grace Draven, Eidolon

“Sleep here each day, Ildiko.” A sweet warmth suffused her.  She entangled her legs with his and hugged his arm to her waist.  “As you wish.  Just don’t steal the blankets.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“Had you crawled out from under my bed when I was a child, I would have bludgeoned you to death with my father’s mace.” Brishen”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“Privilege,” she said gently, “gives the crown its shine.  Duty gives it its weight.”
― Grace Draven, Eidolon

“A companion," he whispered against her mouth. "A lover." He nibbled at her bottom lip, and his hand slid from her nape to cup the back of her head. "A beloved wife.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“He allowed himself a small chuckle then.  “I will conquer kingdoms for you if you but ask it of me, Ildiko.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“And will you love me for a day? A year? A lifetime?" She knew the answer but wanted to hear him say it in that beautiful, shattered voice.
"Beyond that," he whispered, eyes shining with the tempest of emotion he'd held in check until now. "Beyond the reign of false gods and meddlesome priests. Beyond al Zafira when her bright stars fade.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“She made him strong; she made him weak, and in that moment, she nearly put him on his knees. ”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“She was halfway through the book, her eyes heavy with sleep, when the bedroom door opened.  Brishen stood at the threshold, dressed down to undertunic and trousers, his feet bare and his hair damp.  He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.  “Woman of day, you waited for me.”

Ildiko closed her book and offered him a drowsy smile.  Relief and happiness coursed through her.  “Prince of night, you’ve come back to me—your head intact.”

“I promised I’d try.”  ”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“Ildiko had been tempted more than a few times to cross her eyes and watch their reaction.
“Don’t even think about it, wife. You’ll notice half of them are sharpening or cleaning their weapons. All I need is for someone to inadvertently slice themselves open because you startled them.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“I can't accept this, my lord. Its too fine a gift, and I am no queen."

Ballard gently pushed it back to her. "You are, Louvaen. You're simply uncrowned.”
― Grace Draven, Entreat Me

“I'm serious, Brishen. Promise me you'll not get yourself killed or maimed out there."
"I can't make that promise, Ildiko, but I can swear to do my best to come back with all arms and legs attached."
She frowned. "Your head too, if you please."
Brishen laughed then. "My head too.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“Don’t sing.”  He pointed a finger at her for emphasis.  “You’ve scared my dog, my birds and my servant with your yowling.”  He paused.  “You’ve even managed to scare me.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“Resting beside her, he seemed to Ildiko a living statue, carved from dark granite into a form of supple elegance and power. He was beautiful, and the tremor change in her perception of him robbed her lungs of air.
He opened both eyes suddenly, making her jump. Two shimmering gold coins stared at her unblinking. "Good evening, wife," he said in a voice raspy with the remnants of sleep. A closed-lip smile curved his mouth upward and deepened the tiny lines that fanned from the corners of his eyes. "You're staring. Do I have a fly on my nose?"
Fighting down a blush at being caught gawking at her own husband, Ildiko lightly tapped the tip of his nose with one finger. "I was trying to find a way to kill it without punching you in the face. Lucky for you, it flew away.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“see past the surface to the tides below. ”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“While he disliked the idea of scaring her, ignorance had killed more than its fair share of people, and he wanted her aware of the danger.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“An excellent choice to pair the scarpatine with the potato, Your Highness.  They are better together than apart.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“He loved her to the point of madness, to obsession and even sacrifice. He wasn't Berdikhan, and he wouldn't make her Zafira. He'd rob her of her Gift, but she'd live. If he had to destroy Corruption, Conclave and himself, she'd live.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“A damsel in complete distress was a burden to her protectors; one familiar with self defence, not as much.”
― Grace Draven, Eidolon

“The void is vast, like the sea at night and no land in sight. I’ll be the beacon, Brishen.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“I'm not laughing, and I'm not running. I wont lie either. You're a chilling sight to behold. I've had nightmares of monsters prettier than you." She stepped closer and raised her other hand to thread her fingers through his hair. This time he didn't flinch away. "But you're still you under all this flux nonsense. Only a fool of a woman would run from such an extraordinary man, and I am no fool, Ballard de Sauveterre.”
― Grace Draven, Entreat Me

“Martise, lower your knife. There are more than a few people eager to carve out my heart. You'll have to take your place in line.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“There’s more.”

“Of course there is,” Brishen said flatly. It had started badly; it turned worse and hinted at becoming ruinous.”
― Grace Draven, Eidolon

“It’ll be hard not to tease your folk sometimes.”

Brishen couldn’t imagine how she might go about such a thing.  He had no idea if the Kai and the Gauri even knew the same jokes or found the same things funny.  “What do you mean?”

He almost leapt out of his skin when Ildiko stared at him as both of her eyes drifted slowly down and over until they seemed to meet together, separated only by the elegant bridge of her nose.

“Lover of thorns and holy gods!” he yelped and clapped one hand across her eyes to shut out the sight.  “Stop that,” he ordered.

Ildiko laughed and pushed his hand away.  She laughed even harder when she caught sight of his expression.  “Wait,” she gasped on a giggle.  “I can do better.  Want to see me make one eye cross and have the other stay still?”

Brishen reared back.  “No!”  He grimaced.  “Nightmarish.  I’ll thank you to keep that particular talent to yourself, wife.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“Come in, Martise." Silhara's voice was almost sibilant in the darkness as he tagged on her hand. "There are no soul eaters here."

No, she thought. Only heart thieves.”
― Grace Draven, Master of Crows

“A wash of relief poured through her, along with a kindling of hope. Her bridegroom wasn't Gauri; he wasn't even human. He was, however, congenial and gracious. She had proclaimed his appearance ghastly and his honesty handsome. Ildiko still stood by both opinions. She could have done infinitely worse. More than a few Gauri women had the misfortune to marry human men with handsome faces and ghastly souls.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance

“Ildiko clutched his arm, unwilling to have him leave her side.  “I enjoy your touch, Brishen.”

The stiffness eased from his shoulders.  He gave her a wry look and pressed his palm to the pale expanse of skin just below her collarbones.  His hand rose and fell in quick time to her breathing.  “I believe you, but this tells me you fear it as well.”

She winced.  “Your teeth are so...sharp.”

“They are, but I’m not careless, wife.  And if, for some unfathomable reason, I accidently bite you, you’re welcome to bite me back.”

His attempt at humor worked, and Ildiko chuckled.  “Brishen—”  She offered him a toothy grin.  “These wouldn’t do much damage.”

He traced the line of her collarbones with the rough pads of his fingers, their dark claws a whisper of movement across her flesh.  “You have obviously never been badly bitten by a horse.”
― Grace Draven, Radiance