Queens of Mist and Madness (Fae Isles, #4)

by Lisette Marshall

‘No, but—’ And stop looking for reasons to doubt yourself. I froze. Doubting myself. Again.

I love Creon so much

He’d missed his voice. I knew that. He’d wanted me to stop denying my heart. I knew that, too.

‘Thanks. I … I suppose it’s theoretically possible that you’re simply unhappy about the situation in general, rather than about me.’

His grin broke through – that wry, skewed grin, not yet as overjoyed as I wanted to see it, but a thousand times better than the dull blankness in his gaze. Would you think? ‘Oh, fuck off.’

I forgot how much i adore these two

But his mouth moved again as he held out his hand – those beautiful, sensual lips, the same lips I’d learned to read fluently without a sound to guide me. ‘Come here,’ he rasped.

IM SO SENSITIVE

But it was undeniably, indisputably, a laugh. A laugh. For the very first time, I could hear the mirth that vibrated through his chest, shaking his body against mine.

How did a sound so brittle, so rough, manage to be as beautiful as all the rest of him?

This book is EATING already

He only laughed louder – then coughed, then laughed again, amusement shuddering down to the very tips of his wings. There it was, finally, that explosive joy I’d waited for, rising on his face like the unstoppable tide. ‘Em …’

I’d always thought him the single most stunning creature I’d ever laid eyes upon, yet somehow in this moment, covered in blood and grime and sweat,

I reached out instinctively, trailing my fingertips over that straining surface in an unthinking reflex … Creon moaned. He moaned.

Omg i forgot all these firsts my girl about to hear

But I rubbed down his length in one firm stroke, and the husky groan that escaped him was thrillingly, gloriously new.

The power i would feel in this moment lmaoo i know Emmy is feeling it too like my girl on such a sexual power high actually hearing him make moans and groans i could write a dissertation about it, i fear

any idea, that look said, how long I’ve been flying around looking for you, you oversized bloody bat?

‘Good.’ She plopped down beside us with a muffled grumble, tucking a stubborn curl behind her ear again. ‘Alright. Where do I start?’

Omg its not even urgent Lyn gtfo PLEASE

Was it really too much to ask for the world to leave us alone for a couple of hours, after days of battles and meetings with goddesses?

Dead ass

But this was Lyn, not some alf trying to cause trouble. And

But cant she read the room like obvs yall wanted some alone time

Zera’s temple. Agenor’s letter. They told me they will reconsider their decision not to join if and only if Em makes a bargain to never exchange a word with him again…

I dont remember this

Even Tared’s anger didn’t change things – not really. Either he’d see sense, or he wouldn’t.

Thats right

It hurt, that thought. But it was a sharp, clear sort of hurt – a clean cut, not the ragged teeth of doubt that had tormented my heart for all these weeks.

‘I think I’ve finally figured out what I’m doing,’ I said wryly. ‘I’m still fighting the fight, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that if I’m already risking my life for all of this, I’m not sacrificing my bloody soul, too.’

No time to celebrate, to enjoy even a night of simple peace; this was the Silent Death

He scoffed. In which case I’ll want to rip off their fingers and stuff them into their mouths to see if that might shut them up.

Lmaoooo

Tared still didn’t look up from his nails.

Tared acts so entitled it just pisses me off

‘That bargain.’ He shrugged – that nonchalant shrug that could have placated a roaring wildfire. ‘We’d be absolute idiots to accept it. Do we really want to grant any of our allies that sort of influence over us?’

We love to see Tared being reasonable for once

Was I being an idiot and entirely misunderstanding every single word he spoke? Or was he actually … Defending Creon?

I’d sooner have expected Edored to develop a taste for fine arts and high fashion.

Lmaoooo

Let’s not allow the people who have never given a damn about our safety to drive a wedge between us and our friends.’ Wait. Had he just called Creon a friend?

Not sure about all that babes

‘For hell’s sake, Tared, could you just tell me what you’re playing at, rather than—’ And just like that, he was gone – vanished into thin air like a maddening, cowardly puff of smoke.

Jfc tared

But the male lounging on that narrow wooden bench, long legs crossed and sword bared next to him, looked like he had been waiting for me.

‘You may want to close the door before you start shouting. People are still awake.’

Lmao we know Ems fire too well

‘What changed?’ He hesitated a fraction of a moment. ‘Lyn shouted at me for a couple of hours.’

‘Which is an interesting argument to make,’ he said, sword never faltering, ‘given that you’ve technically been lying through your teeth for months.’

Hahahahaha Em is literally the "you got me there" meme

His voice did not waver. ‘Please elaborate.’

Tared got me dead like bruh you know already no elaboration is needed lmaoo

‘Kick you out?’ he interrupted, his own blade sagging. ‘Tared, your arm!’

‘Seems like I have underestimated the misunderstanding and overestimated my own clarity of communication. By a rather significant margin. Give me … give me a moment to figure out what’s going on here.’

‘Look, I’ve been living in the same house with Edored for centuries. What part of that gave you the impression I make a habit of kicking people out over a fight or two?’

Lmaooo dead ass tho

‘Edored has been family for longer than I have lived. He’s … blood. That’s not … you know?’ Tared didn’t move – didn’t even blink. ‘What?’ ‘What, what?’ ‘I … I’m afraid I’m not following you.’

Awww

‘Valter and Editta,’ he said with a groan, ‘are human heaps of shit who don’t have the faintest fucking idea of the daughter they could have had if they’d pulled their heads out of their arses for half a minute.

Tared is so real for this

One of us. The tears flowed harder. ‘Em …’ He stepped closer, holding out a slightly bloodied hand. ‘I’m so very sorry. Come here, little brat.’ I all but flew into his arms.

:'(

A very first inkling of understanding. A very first notion of what life might be with that certainty of family in it, with that ever-present safety net waiting beneath my every step.

My infant sized heart

‘Looking for something?’ an unknown voice said behind me. I shrieked and whipped around. And there he was, leaning against the doorframe with a steaming earthen mug

Absolutely dead that she forgot he could talk lmaoo

His smile grew into a devilish smirk as he took a sip of tea. ‘Anything wrong, cactus?’

‘Did you …’ He faltered, a delicious little hiccup that must be the sound of laughter about to overcome him. ‘Em, did you fight him?’ I grimaced. ‘I might have?’ He burst out laughing.

‘Oh, I’m going to kill her.’ The bitter promise burst over my lips before I could think twice, the only way out for that fury building, burning in my chest.

‘The bitch – how could she? How could she? I—

I love that this was her reaction to hearing him laugh hard...my heart

‘So violent,’ he muttered, his warm breath brushing over the skin just below my ear.

BARK

‘Did I ever tell you how utterly irresistible you are when you’re threatening bloody murder in my name, Em?’

‘I assume the blood isn’t yours.’ A shivery laugh escaped me. ‘It … it isn’t.’ ‘Excellent,’ he muttered,

‘Your problem is you’re waiting for some punishment,’

‘I’m fully fucking honest when I say no one has ever frightened me as much as you do. I’ve never had this much to lose before.’ My breath hitched. ‘Creon

‘Is this the moment to tell you how utterly bewitching you look in the blood of my enemies?’

Such a charmer this man