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

by Lisette Marshall

‘Sitting. Such a wonderful thing to do during a meeting.’

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

‘Is this some prelude to, say, dowry negotiations?’ I said, breaking the mounting silence with all the insincere lightness I could throw into my voice. ‘Because in that case, I’d like to have it stated for the record that I think I’m worth at least several pieces of cattle. Probably a nice little farm, too. Just for your consideration.’

‘For hell’s sake,’ he said bleakly. ‘What have you been thinking?’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘have you seen what he looks like?’

‘No. Because he’s the only damn person in this world who’s never tried to make me more than I can be or less than I am. Because he makes me laugh when I’m frightened. Because he knows what it’s like to be everyone’s weapon. Because he stops me from doubting myself. Do I need to continue?’

The arrow in Creon’s back turned out to have lodged itself into a rib between spine and shoulder blade, which he called “a manageable scratch” and Ylfreda called “a madman’s unearned good luck”;

‘This feeling that you’re just a little too much for the place you’re in?’ Creon sent me a side glance, eyebrow quirking up. ‘It’s too small, you mean.’ ‘What?’ ‘Watch out who you’re blaming,’ he clarified, lips tight. ‘You’re not too much. The place is too small. Very different problem, very different solution.’

‘What is it with you and murderous things?’ ‘Thanks, I suppose,’ Creon said dryly.

Which made them the perfect victims. Which made me the perfect villain.

Chapter 12

‘Nothing creates an awareness of ethics like walking on the wrong side of the line for most of your life.

I don’t know if there’s a place in the world big enough for me if I stop keeping myself small.’

What would I have won by biting my tongue? I knew what I knew.

‘it’s significantly easier to make people do what you want them to do when you know what they’re called.’

if I’m to be manipulating them anyway, I’d rather do it shamelessly than shamefully. Saves me a lot of headaches.’

What an enviable thing, to be powerless and unimportant, a replaceable piece of the puzzle in this peaceful little corner of the world.

‘Don’t you dare call my daughter a fae whore ever again, you fucking swine.’

‘I’m sick of catering to cowards. Time for war. Let’s go, Em.’

‘Bold of you to assume I was thinking at all,’

‘Even if you can't be everyone's hero, that doesn't make you a villain,

how was it possible for satisfaction to hurt so much?

you don’t need to be good for anything in the first place. You just need to be.

‘I’d still rather die in your arms than in anyone else’s.’

‘Inspiration through murder,’ Creon said, the smallest smile quirking around his lips. ‘The alves will be proud of you.’

Chapter 38

‘Looking pretty while throwing a blade doesn’t make the blade useless.’