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“Does this have to do with whatever’s going on between you and that Prince?” My jaw tightened. “Nothing’s going on between me and that Prince.” “Oh, don’t give me that bollocks. The two of you can’t keep your eyes off each other. He can’t stop touching you, and you can’t stop provoking him.”
huhuhuuuuuuuuuu
Long-buried suspicions bubbled to the surface, sending my heartbeat galloping. No, I shouted to myself over the roar of my own thoughts. It was a mistake. A hallucination, maybe. Nothing more. It can’t be more.
PUUUUUTZZ
To be a wife—to be relegated to a man’s side instead of standing on my own, to abandon myself and my own goals in service of a husband’s authority and a wife’s duty. It was the life expected of most women in Mortal City. Silence. Obedience. Sacrifice.
“You know me better than anyone,”
Bom, mas você guardou VÁRIOS SEGREDOS
He nodded enthusiastically. “Take all the time you need. I want you to feel as good about this as I do.” He pulled me in for a quick, firm kiss, and for the first time, his lips felt wrong against mine. “This is our destiny, Diem. This is where we’re meant to be. I just know it.”
Não consigo mais engolir esse menino não
My eyes snapped up. “What?” “He was impressed with you. That’s not an easy thing to do, you know. Luther doesn’t give out compliments very often. I mean, he does to me, of course, because I’m his sister, but to everyone else, he’s a bit... well, he’s not mean, really, he’s just very—” “Compliments?” I cocked my head. “What kind of compliments?” “Oh! Um, he said you were very impressive. And interesting. He kept asking me what I knew about you and what Teller had told me. And I think he went into Mortal City to find you, maybe. A few times, actually, but I suppose you weren’t there, because
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“Anyway, I know Luther wasn’t nice to you then, but he is nice. No one ever believes me when I say that. He’s just misunderstood, you know?” Her smile faltered, her features hardening with a sisterly protectiveness I recognized all too well. “Everyone’s always trying to use him to get to the Crown, or they’re trying to win him over because he’s going to be King someday. He can’t trust anyone.” Her head tilted again, her expression going thoughtful. “I think he trusts you, though.”
Hahhahahhahha gosta de sofrer kkkkkkkk
“Oh, he asked her a lot more than that,” Teller said.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH o capitulo mais engraçado até agora kkkkkk
“I had only met her a few times. I thought she was beautiful, of course—the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. But she had this presence...” His eyes went glassy, lost in the memory. “Even in the army, surrounded by soldiers with dangerous weapons and even more dangerous egos, she commanded every room she walked into. She’s a force of nature, my Auralie.”
Like Prince Luther??? Hihiiiiiii
“I didn’t. But I eventually decided the chance of her saying yes was worth the possibility of her saying no. To be able to call her my girl—that was worth any risk.”
“Auralie’s always been a private person, even then. Especially then. Perhaps that’s why she and I got along so well. I always trusted that if there was something she was keeping from me, she had a reason for it, and that was good enough for me. I was happy to take whatever piece of herself she was willing to give.
“But I had no desire to relive those moments, and your mother was content with that. We never needed to see all of each other to love all of each other.”
“It was only the thought of living without her that scared me. Everything else felt trivial in comparison.”
He moved to block my path, but Teller—gods bless him—stepped in the way. “Father, there may be injuries. They’ll need healers there. Diem could help.” “There are other healers. Maura will have heard the explosions, she’ll send someone over.”
Porque ele não quer que ela vá?
“Diem.” There was a deadly gravity to his features. “Listen to me. Go home and stay there. Forget you saw the fire, and forget you saw us.”
Esse FDP ta usando ela
What have I taught you about fighting an opponent that is much stronger than you are? If you cannot be stronger, be smarter. He had prepared me for this. Despite my mounting panic, I worked my face into a mask of false calm. With a long exhale, I nodded and relaxed my shoulders. “Yes, of course,” I said lightly. “I was confused for a moment, but I understand now.” A look of relief cascaded over Henri’s face. His grip relaxed on my arms, but Vance remained still, eyes trained on me. “You’ll return with us?” he asked.
“Stop running, you dumb bitch,” a voice snarled.
Foi Henri??????? WTFF
“Luther, you arrogant prick, come over here and talk to me!” In the crowd, a hundred eyes turned on me like a mouse that had just awoken a lion. Luther’s shoulders rose and fell abruptly in what I had no doubt was some kind of irritated sigh, but he finally stalked over to meet me.
“You came all the way here with no medicine or supplies?” “Well I left Mortal City with all the supplies I could carry, and then I was attacked on the trail by a group of jackasses who stole my bag. So, technically, I only came halfway here with no medicine or supplies.” He stopped. His eyes darkened as they unapologetically roamed my body. “Did they hurt you?” he growled.
Adoroooooooo
“So it’s too dangerous. You’re mortal, remember?” His tone was dry, almost sarcastic. “Your body is too fragile.” I glared. “First of all, if you ever call me fragile again, I’ll slice your precious royal balls off and shove them down your throat.” The group went dead silent. The corner of Luther’s lips twitched—just slightly. “Second, why should it matter to you if I get hurt?” I smiled bitterly. “I’m just a mortal, after all. Our lives are so disposable compared to yours.” The muscles along his throat strained with the effort of not responding. The blond man looked at Luther, then tilted his
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Hahahahahahahahahha chupaaaa
shot him a look. “Oh come on, Luther—” “Prince Luther.” I couldn’t roll my eyes hard enough. “People are dying and you’re concerned about your fancy fucking title?”
In my days as a healer, I’d heard stories of mortals digging into some hidden well of inhuman strength in times of crisis—frantic mothers who single-handedly lifted overturned carriages off their children, delicate ladies hauling a fallen horse away from their beloved trapped beneath. There was something about the imminent terror of losing a loved one that coated our bones in steel and injected our veins with fire, giving us the will to face Death with defiance and push our bodies beyond anything we ever thought ourselves capable of.
flames, I spotted an opening to the starry night beyond, and in that opening, a face. Bright blue-grey eyes. “Diem!” Luther. His voice sounded hoarse, almost panicked. So unlike the frosty calm I had come to expect. Like a candle snuffed into darkness, the last of my energy vanished. I sank to my knees with a painful, heavy thud. “Luther,” I croaked out. “I can’t...” “Stay there. Stay strong. I’m coming.” There was shouting. Shuffling feet. The groaning of shifting metal and wood. “I’m coming for you,” he shouted again.
“I’ve got you,” someone said, softer. “You’re going to survive this. I promise.” For some reason, I believed them. Their voice was familiar in a way that felt like more than a memory, like it wasn’t my mind that knew them but something deeper, something far more intimately ingrained. Its steadfast resolve soothed the limp of my heart, but there was a tone in it that was... shaken. Lost. A shiver rippled through me as a chilly breeze kissed my skin in unexpected places—my ribs, my thighs, my hips. I tried to speak, but only a weak, broken sound rose from my lips. The hands clutched me tighter,
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“Pants? I don’t have any—never mind. I’ll see what I can find. You’ll stay with her until I’m back?” “Lumnos herself couldn’t pull me from her side.” More silence. “Cousin... who is this woman to you?” A pause, and a long, heavy sigh. “Eleanor, I... I think she...” Darkness.
“Oh, she’ll attack if she needs to, and Kindred help anyone unwise enough to provoke her. The problem is she’s too clever. She can sense intentions, so mock battles don’t interest her. When she knows her opponents don’t mean any real harm, she’d rather take her treats and go have a nap.” I smirked. “Sorae and I have that in common.” He laughed—laughed!—and I had to steady myself to keep my jaw off the floor. I couldn’t stop staring at him. His relaxed, almost lazy posture.
I threw him a look. “Keep telling yourself that, Your Highness.” “It disturbs me how unusual it feels to hear you call me that,” he muttered, drawing a loud, genuine laugh from me. His posture tensed at the sound, an unreadable look sparking on his expression.
“If the death of innocents is a cost we’re willing to pay, then we don’t deserve to be powerful.”
“I am not afraid, Devourer of Crowns. Ravager of Realms. Herald of Vengeance.”
“Give him our gift, Daughter of the Forgotten. When the end has come, and the blood has spilled, give our gift to my faithful heir, and tell him this is my command.”
“You think I fear my own death?” he whispered in my ear. “Every day I draw breath is as much a curse as a gift. I’ve been living on borrowed time for longer than you can imagine. If you’re the way my fate finally catches up to me, I can’t fathom a more beautiful end.”
“Do it,” he said again. “Kill me, if that’s what you think I deserve. But if you do, give me one favor before I go.” His pulse throbbed against my blood-soaked hand, his heartbeat racing to match my own. “Favor?” I managed to ask, despite the heady fog clouding my thoughts. Without pulling away from my dagger, he turned his face, hot breath spilling over my cheek as his mouth trailed the line of my jaw. His eyes rose to mine. “Let me die with the taste of you on my lips.”
The truth is that I just knew.
“You know, Diem,” he growled, “I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about you, wondering if you’re the best liar I’ve ever met or the worst. I think I finally know the answer.” He placed his palms flat against the wall, ensnaring me between his arms. “The only person you’re good at lying to is yourself.”
“Go ahead,” he breathed. “Lie to me. I already know the answer. I know you feel my power.” His chin rose, our lips so very, very close. “Because I can feel yours, too.” No. No. He smirked. “You’re no more mortal than I am.”
“I... I have to go,” I stammered. “My family...” His head dipped. “You should know I won’t enforce your mother’s bargain. That’s between her and me. It’s not your burden to bear.” “But my brother—” “It’s not his burden, either. He can finish his schooling—I’ll make sure of it.”
“You saw it too, didn’t you?” I stopped, but I didn’t look back. “Last night,” he said, “right before the roof collapsed. The vision. The battlefield.” I couldn’t move, my body paralyzed, my thoughts stunned to stillness. “What if our story isn’t over, Diem Bellator? What if it’s only beginning?”
WTFFFFFFFFFF
People with power don’t give it away out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it when we leave them no other choice.
Do you know what happens to the mortals who get ‘invited’ to research at their institutes?” “Are you saying they don’t get to study?” “They do. For a while.” His voice soured. “Have you ever met a mortal who has studied in Sophos? Have you ever even heard of a mortal returning to their realm after visiting?” I frowned. “Well, no, but—”
PARECE O TIPO DE MENTIRA DA SAGA DO CHURRASCO. MENTIRA DE UM LADO
And Luther... What he’d said. What he’d done. What I’d felt.
“And in all of that time, I was never allowed any further into the palace than a sitting room. I was never invited to dine there or offered the services of their staff. And I was certainly never, ever received as an overnight guest.” I started to speak, and he raised a hand to cut me off, then pulled an envelope from his shirt pocket. “So imagine my surprise,” he said, his voice growing louder and angrier with every word, “when I received a letter, hand-written from Prince Luther himself, telling me that my daughter was recovering in his personal care and assuring me he would see to it that
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“Diem—you’re wearing the Crown. You’ve been selected. You are the new Queen of Lumnos.”
Wtfffffffffff
