A Queen This Fierce and Deadly (Kingdom of Lies, #4)

by Stacia Stark

“Once you cross the line into a certain level of idiocy, you lose the right to self-determination. And that is especially true for those responsible for protecting children.”

Our story doesn’t end when this life does. You’ll be mine in the next life––and the life after that.

But now, he looked at me as if I was the last star left in a sky filled with darkness. He looked at me as if he was drowning and I was the only one who could give him air. It was a desperate, possessive, love-stricken look.

“Like the ancient trees surrounding us, your love will endure times of storm and serenity, weathering the fiercest winds of adversity, and enjoying the gentle breezes of peace,” Galon said. “Your love will prevail through times of sun and frost, basking in our warmest, brightest days, and enduring the icy touches of our hardest nights. “And your love will stand strong through drought and abundance, through parched summers and bountiful springs, growing deeper with each passing year.” Galon handed the marriage bracelet to Lorian. “And so you shall vow.”

He stared intently into my eyes. “I vow to be the roots that ground you, the branches that help you reach for your dreams, and the shelter that forever keeps you safe. I will love you in every life.”

I feel like happy isn’t the right word. I feel so many emotions right now, all of them constantly warring within me. On days like today, a word like happy seems almost…tepid. What I feel today is a kind of defiant joy. It’s a feeling that lies. A feeling that whispers that everything is going to work out. Because how could it not?”