More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
He wasn’t an inventive fighter, and he wasn’t particularly brave, but he did have about five inches on Mariel in height, and he’d learned the sword like a man with a sword instruction manual and literally nothing else going on in his life. Mariel hated him to the point of obsession.
Clem ate her bread and watched as Kit offered the rest of his to Baxter, who accepted it with such reverence he looked as if he might be close to tears. Clem wondered if they were perhaps in love, or if it was just that bread tended to bring out those sorts of emotions in people.
“We’re commanding an independent militia.” “Nobody’s going to want to be in your secret club if you make it sound so terminally unfun.”
“I see you’re still pretending to find me annoying.” “Yes,” said Mariel. “Pretending.”
That tiny laugh had been bizarrely out of character. Clem wanted to study this development, like it was an interesting disease.
Mariel was strong. It was probably from hefting that enormous chip on her shoulder, or dragging kidnapping victims around the wood by the hair.
She didn’t throw herself at people who weren’t going to catch her, because that was how you got kneecapped, emotionally speaking.
“Oh, I should warn you—everybody knows about this. Us. Morgan thinks it’s icky.” “Morgan is correct,” Mariel said, meaning it. “All right,” said Clem. “Want to do something disgusting with me?”
“Who set your nose?” Clem asked conversationally. “I can break it again for you if you like, and put it back properly.” Captain Flores laughed hollowly. “Are you threatening me, healer?” “Actually not. That’s how you fix a nose. I’m being quite friendly.”
She’d taken an arrow for that woman, and in return, she’d just … wandered off? This really was the last straw. If she lived through this, no more doing other people favors. Probably. Maybe. She’d take weekends off, at least.
“That’s all we can do. Fuck the fascists, and introspect.”
I hope it will encourage you to stomp out into the woods to touch a tree and/or make plans to overthrow the bourgeoisie.
