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The magic rooted deep in Calandra’s land tinged our irises at birth with those starbursts, linking us forever to a place. No matter where we lived, where we moved, that one color was unchanging. Every Quentin had an amber starburst. Every Quentin except me. My eyes were solid gold. Not a starburst in sight.
A King cannot kill his Sparrow, and a Sparrow cannot kill her King, either directly or indirectly, without death befalling them both.
Poison. I was definitely poisoning that man. Was it bad to plot someone’s murder while you were in a sanctuary for the gods? I mentally signed the Eight, just in case.
“Not all monsters are born from the gods, my queen. Some of us were made.”
“Your former fiancé must not have a big sword.” The Guardian’s eyes flashed emerald green, the innuendo dripping from his tone.
Given his tendency to pop up like an itchy rash, I was certain he was lingering around somewhere.
Damn my heart. It skipped. Heartburn. It had to be heartburn.
Who would I become if I wasn’t at the mercy of men?
She’d learned lessons she shouldn’t have had to yet. To hide. To pretend. To lie. Those were lessons for adults, not children.
Please let me try to help. Don’t shut me out. I’m so tired of being the last to know what everyone already does. I’m not a warrior. I’m not a scholar or healer or even a decent princess. But I’m capable. I taught myself how to whistle. How to shoot a crossbow with marginal accuracy. I haven’t cut myself with my own knife or sword. I can help. I want to help. Please?”
There was only one way for me to break free. Knowledge. Every secret I exposed would lead me to
freedom. The freedom of choice. So I could decide where I wanted to go. Where I wanted to live. Who I could become.
“Please.” I huffed. “I would never cause trouble.” “That you actually believe yourself is the most terrifying part of that statement.”
Did these people come out of the womb suspicious? Did they teach toddlers how to keep secrets? Were children instructed to give outsiders hostile glares and sneers?
“When I am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I do not need a crown. And I have made peace with my destiny. But before I step into my grave, my choice is you.”
