What Lies Within Masks & Shadows (Promises of the Marked, #1)

by Nicolle May

But the stranger didn’t withdraw his gaze. Not even as they passed by her in the meadow. His muscles rippled with the seemingly effortless movement of shifting in the saddle to peer over his shoulder.

“Begging does not convince me. You will never beg me.”

Jade—“We don’t know what the devil she is. Death herself? Mmm, possibly. Don’t get on her bad side. She’s been known to look a male straight in the eyes and his soul willingly left his body.”

I love Jade

I’d be completely irresistible then. Can you imagine these looks and magic? The kingdom would simply crumble under jealousy.”

Ok, I love Aiden

Slowly, she was igniting back from a dark and lonely place. Back to who she knew she always was, and away from the parts of her that he stole.

Mister Tall, Gray, and Scary

😂

“I swear if you die, I’ll find you in Firekeeper’s realm, bring you back, just to kill you myself.”

“I will never control you again.”

A perfect reflection of her own self. A deadly weapon with missing pieces.

But when you’re at war with your own mind, your own heart … the demons haunt with the pain of the past.

“No. You will never get her back. Trust me when I say you do not want to.

Wherever there are shadows, I will always be.

“All you need to do is ask.”

She told me that our path is not written in stone, but in the ever-changing skies above.

your path ahead is not a matter of chance. It is choice. And yours alone. The sun and stars will find you along the way, just as they were always meant to.”

Fear not the path ahead, for you are not alone.

Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Never trust it. Do not let it consume you. It does not know your incredible strength. Feel it. Every part of it. Then let it push you to your greatest victory over yourself and above all else.”

“No, but I would not mind chasing you,”

“Insult what is mine again and find that my knowledge of pain far exceeds the control of shadow. They will grant you mercy. I will not.”

“You do much more than those slow, long looks at me in my dreams.”

“Treasure those, mighty prince, as they’ll be the only times I’ll do anything with you ever again.”

Uh huh, suuuuuuuuure

“You made it my business the moment you so much as thought about touching her. She is mine.”

“I never want to forget this. But you must.”

😢

“These burdens are far too heavy to carry on your own.”

“Not until you came, of course. You kissed me in my bed that first night and I knew I was forever yours.”

ok, but he's not even joking 😍🥰

“When you want something, it does not matter when, where I am, or what I am doing. Please come ask.”

“You are”—tears lined Alora’s eyes—“braver than you think. Stronger than you yet know”—her lips quivered—“because of what you’ve endured. Fight. Live.”

I made mistakes, and you will also. And we will learn from them. We can only move forward and strive to be better than who we were before.”

Your pain is raw. Just because you survived does not mean you stepped over a line of hurting and into being instantly healed.”

“Progress is not linear, Alora. You can survive months without your pain, only to fall and shatter a moment later.

Ever since she was rescued from Telldaira, her world had been brightened, full of color, full of majesty and hope and light.

“Make no mistake, my darling, there is no reality in which I would not return to you.”