Glow of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #2)

by Penn Cole

How could I possibly step into a world where even the garments they hid beneath their clothing cost more than every possession I’d ever owned?

“They want us to feel small, Eleanor. They want us to be quiet, be predictable, be unimportant, behave. Then they make us think we deserve it. But I think they’re just terrified we’ll stop listening to them and start listening to each other. And do you know why they’re so scared of women like us?” Our gazes met, two sets of glittering eyes shining in shared determination. “Why?” she asked. My answering grin was positively wicked. “Because they damn well should be.”

“That if a man made you doubt whether his love for you would survive anything, he does not deserve you.”

“Embrace your phoenix. Rise from the ashes, and burn bright once more.”

“I want every breath, every laugh, every tear. Every taste of your mouth, every inch of your skin. I want to kneel at your feet, soaked in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name.” His hands slid to my hips and tugged me closer. “Yes, Diem, I want to serve you—in every way a man can.”

“I want to burn alive in that fire in your eyes.

“Does your anger actually help those people, or does it make you feel righteous while the situation gets worse?”

Today, my grief was a sharp, pointed thing. A weapon—a mace, covered in poisoned spikes, ready to demolish anyone it swung at.

Something clicked in my heart—a lock opening, or perhaps a door creaking ajar.

Like a gentle wind blown on a glowing ember, the spirit inside me sparked and roared to life.