Year One (Kingmakers, #1)

by Sophie Lark

Anna is the only person I’ve met more intense than me. Sometimes she scares me a little. But mostly she’s my balance, my rock.

They think they know Leo Gallo. Anna is the only person who actually does.

He taught me how to play basketball. But what I actually want is for him to teach me how to run the world.

I’m not trying to be an athlete. I’m trying to be a king.

“Power is not only in what we do, but in what we don’t do,” Anna quotes, calmly.

I don’t want to think about anything in my real life. That’s what books are for. To take you away . . .

I have five tattoos myself: a swallow for my mother, a wolf for my father, a quote from my sister’s favorite book, a sprig of aconite for my brother. And a fifth that I’ve never shown to anyone.

“You will have everything you want in this world, Anna. I knew it from when I first held you in my arms. I knew you would take it all, and hold it tight.”

I know it’s ridiculous because they’re just kids. But I want to be first in her eyes, the way she is in mine. Closer than blood.

Fantasies are so much more than dreams—they’re a vision of the path you need to take to get what you want.

“Young love!” my dad says, cheerfully. “Can I get you some orange juice, Miko?” And then, in an undertone, “Please don’t murder my son.”