The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)

by Rachel Gillig

I’ll tell it to you as best I can and promise to be honest in my talebearing. If I’m not, that’s hardly my fault. To tell a story is in some part to tell a lie, isn’t it?

His throat hitched. “And I don’t know how to behave around you. You make me so fucking nervous. But letting you fall underwater when all you ever did at Aisling was drown, I—”

“The thing is—I think I’d do anything you asked of me.”

I'm screaming

“That is unkind and unworthy, Bartholomew.” He’d been quietly crying in the corner of the room, and now appeared the spirit of righteous anger. “If you value your friend when he fights your battles for you—when he is rogue and ruthless—you must value him when he is gentle, too. Otherwise you do not value him at all.”

I love you Bartholomew

I was certain I was the master of Rodrick Myndacious.

My man, my man, my man

“You could walk over me, Sybil Delling. Throw me down until I am dust. I don’t know what to call it, but I want it. I want you.”

THAT'S MY MAN

“When you do the right thing for the wrong reason, no one praises you. When you do the wrong thing for the right reason, everyone does, even though what is right and wrong depends entirely on the story you’re living in. And no one says they need recognition or praise or love, but we all hunger for it. We all want to be special.”

I was falling in love.

Benji’s eyes lowered to our hands together.

I'm a little suspicious of you, Benji

“About fucking time.”

BENJI YOU BITCH

“I want you to be my queen.”

WHAT

Maude let out a low hiss, and Rory—my back was to Rory. But the noise that came out of him was animalistic. Pain, and fury.

GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE. CAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN

The knighthood came into the courtyard, and I was just as I’d been all those weeks ago. Barefoot in the apple orchard, martyring myself.

SYBIL. GOD.