More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
February 17 - February 20, 2024
Love is weakness, an exploitable flaw.
I’m going to escape. After I sleep.
Carver grins. “Think she’s sweet, too?” My eyes spit fire. “Bite me. You’ll find out.”
“You handled that hit well. Like a man.” “Is that supposed to be a compliment? The last thing I want is to be hairy and stupid.”
“Don’t flirt with me.” “Why not?” He sounds completely innocent. The rascal. “Because I’ll kill you.”
What’s wrong with me? I must be coming down with something, like empathy. Gah!
Anyway, locked up is locked up, even if it’s in a gilded cage.
“I won’t bite.” “Or punch.” I grit my teeth. “You’re asking a lot.”
I clap and grin—I love a good fight, not that this one seems very fair—and then blink. Flynn either just grew three feet, or I’m hallucinating.
I’ve never felt this way before—disconnected from myself, confused, and happy. It’s a relief not to be scared anymore. So freeing. I should do this more often. I’m having the time of my life!
“Oh, no!” I cry. “We mustn’t kill by accident. Only on purpose.”
“Traitor!” “Blah, blah, blah.” I pretend to yawn.
I stagger upright. “That was fun.” Sort of. Not really. They look at me like I’m a lunatic.
Maybe I’ll trust him to fight my monsters while I sleep. Maybe I don’t have a choice. His voice is fierce in my ear. “You’re mine now, Cat. Don’t you dare die on me.”
“‘Fix her! Now! Or I swear to the gods that the Furies will rain death and destruction upon you, and there will be lightning bolts to pay!’” I gasp. “He didn’t!” “He did.”
She can be really scary in a mother-hen-meets-warrior-queen kind of way.
“You? Diplomatic?” “I know!” I throw my hands up. “I guess he thinks insult first and kill after will be good for the realm.”
“In case you lose one in the warlord’s gut,” Vasili says with no expression whatsoever. Who me? Do I look violent and prone to slaughter?
“I always get to know people before I kill them. It’s much more satisfying that way.” There. That sounded sufficiently insane.
People talk about fight or flight? That’s nonsense. It’s fight and flight.
“Are you insane?” he thunders. “Marginally.”
“What’s better than loyal?” Flynn asks. “Loyal and self-sacrificing,”
My maturity level is apparently that of a five-year-old because I stay invisible for two whole days,
“That was the strangest two days of my life. It was like talking to a realm-walking spirit.” “With an attitude,” Flynn remarks. “You could have just pretended I wasn’t there. That’s the point of invisibility.”
“Shhh! Don’t say that. You might hurt his feelings.” “He’s a horse.” “He’s my horse. Any attack on him is an attack on me,” I say frostily.
“What are you doing?” I gasp. “Making sure you don’t head butt me, you little harpy.” Oh. I’m not disappointed. Definitely not disappointed.
I try to look apologetic. “I can’t explain unless the stars align just right and Zeus makes me his wife.”
“Is Cat supposed to threaten us?” He nods. “It means she likes you.” “That doesn’t make any sense.” Kaia smiles brightly anyway. “I like you, too, Cat.”
