Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2)

by Laini Taylor

“Dead souls dream only of death,” the resurrectionist told the emperor. “Small dreams for small men. It is life that expands to fill worlds. Life is your master, or death is. Look at you. You are a lord of ashes, a lord of char. You are filthy with your victory. Enjoy it, Joram, for you will never know another. You are lord of a country of ghosts, and that is all that you will ever be.”

The sound of their mingled voices, Sveva thought, had been like the sound of the world itself: earth and air, leaf and stream, and tooth and claw, too. And snarl, and scream.

It is life that expands to fill worlds. Life is your master or death is.

When Brimstone had spoken those words, they’d meant nothing to Akiva. Now he understood. But how could a soldier change masters?

Mercy breeds mercy as slaughter breeds slaughter.

And what if the act of answering sparked a black joy of its own?

Ziri had begun to hate someone on that day, and it wasn’t Akiva. “I don’t know why, Karou,” he said. “But I think the angel saved my life.”

And… it would be worse, she thought, because it would be their choice. They wouldn’t die, or be taken from her. They would go freely to make their life around another person and leave her behind.