The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia #4)

by Carissa Broadbent

But in the end, he loses her every time.

Say it aint so

Vincent—dead vampire king of the House of Night—held out a hand to me.

Nightmare nightmare nightmare

A distant, crooked tower, silhouetted against the white, collapsed. Souls scattered like frantic ants. A second tower started to fall, painfully slowly.

Not the underworld 9/11

“It isn’t your concern.” “It is my concern. And why you? I don’t even know you.”

Personally im a big fan of her taking him down a peg

Going on a mission to save the world with my friend’s dead father was not at all what I expected to be doing in death.

Nightmare situation honestly

We both knew I knew it, and we both knew it meant I’d already won.

I know that's right

“I’m giving credit to its rightful owner. I did not kill Atroxus. Mische Iliae did, and she deserves to have her name painted in the stars for it.”

He's so hot tbh

You changed the world, Iliae, I thought. You’ve terrified even the gods.

<33333

Half a taunt. But half a genuine plea: Send me to the underworld. Send me home. Send me to her.

SEND ME HOME!!! SEND ME TO HER!!!!

I wanted to tell her, Of course she could make or unmake the world. Have you met her? Anyone who had wouldn’t be surprised.

im obsessed with the way Asar talks about Mische

It wasn’t even a choice. “Take me to her,” I said.

<3

“Billions of threads,” she murmured, “and not a single one where you say no.”

Oh im gnawing the bars of my enclosure over this

Vincent was not good company. He made it very clear that he was not interested in conversation. Not that I’d ever let that stop me before.

I hope Raihn & Oraya get to know that Mische bugged Vincent in the afterlife

Vincent sheathed his sword and whirled to me. “Dark Mother help me, girl, you never stop.”

Im laughing but also he better check his tone

I couldn’t see his features, nothing but the faintest smear of a human-shaped silhouette, but I knew. I’d know him anywhere.

<3333333

“You came for me,” she murmured. “I told you that I would.”

They make me FERAL

Septimus, prince of the House of Blood. The very same man who had once attempted to help Raihn and Oraya’s rivals overthrow the House of Night.

Ugh not this fool

And a voice, quiet and booming at once, said, “Get your hands off my wife.”

EXCUSE ME WIFE?!?!?!?

“You are too intelligent for us to be having this conversation right now. You know what my priority is. You know it because you just used it against me.”

I know he's mad but this is hot lol

Asar’s hand pressed to the wall behind me, enveloping me in his presence. “I’m not grieving anything,” he murmured.

Idk how Mische isn't barking like a dog rn

“It means that it belongs to the past,” he clarified unhelpfully. “So is it here? Or is it not here?” “It is here, and not here.

Oh shut uppppppp

“Don’t say stupid things.” I jerked my chin to the ladder against the bookshelf. “Hold on to the bars. They will keep your hands where they need to be.”

SIR YES SIR

Just to make sure she felt me. And oh, she felt me.

WOOF WOOF WOOF

When Septimus stepped closer, I struck him straight across the face. The slap rang out with a satisfying CRACK.

WHOOP HIS ASS MISCHE

Are they pacifists, I wonder, unwilling to answer Nyaxia’s call? Or did she not call upon them at all?” “And yet she called upon the Bloodborn?” I asked. “After two thousand years of hating you?”

OOO BURNNNNNNN

I, too, greatly enjoy being the solution to a problem.”

i know his redemption arc is coming but i still hate him

Finally, she managed a single word: “Raihn.”

MY MAN MY MAN MY MAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN

“We haven’t heard from you for nearly a year, Mish. A fucking year. We knew you had been captured by the Shadowborn. Did you really think that we wouldn’t come for you?”

Aweeeeee

And I couldn’t even bring myself to look at Raihn’s face—that stupid, sweet, sad puppy dog face. Gods fucking damn him.

Girl tell him!!!

“We found Gideon.” ’

fuck

“You just hesitated before you said that.” “No, I didn’t.” Yes, he fucking did, but fine.

They are soooooo husband and wife

“We’ll fix it,” she whispered. “Right?” “We will fix it,” I vowed. Even though I was looking only at her.

<3

I thought, Damn masks and eyes and hearts and divine missions. This is what a true goddess looks like.

<33333

Raihn’s eyes went blank. He fell under the spell immediately. He was a Nightborn king—he knew how to steel his mind against Shadowborn intrusion. But not with me. He never saw it coming.

Mische this is actually breaking my heart!!! Don't do this

Then he added, more softly, “You were incredible, Iliae. Absolutely incredible.”

I love the way he praises and reveres herrrrrrrr

“For whatever of your mistakes, Mische Iliae,” he said, quietly, firmly, “for whatever of your faults, for whatever unintended pains you may bring this world, I will love you anyway.”

<33333

Most interesting of all, he had horns.

HOLD ON IS THIS WHO I THINK IT IS

“Atrius,” the man said stiffly. “Your guide.”

YESSSSSSS

Oooh, Mische said silently to me. They’re together together.

Shes so funny

Godlight?

The gods killed him so they couldnt enter the deadlands

The Keeper brought the blade down⁠— —and thrust it into his own gut.

BRUHHHHH

“She must be so lonely,” I murmured.

</3

Mische’s horse trailed farthest behind, head low, hooves dragging.

That thing is dyinggggg

Then he stepped back, lifted his blade, and drove it through his horse’s chest.

Oh!!!

And too slow to stop them before the two of them collided with the force of a shooting star, sliding straight into the forge flames together.

MISCHE!!!!! GET OUT OF THEREEEEEEEEE

I realized, through my screams, the Sentinel was commanding, “Repent. Repent. Tell me if you can be saved. Is there anything left in you to salvage?”

Why is he making this so personal???

Do not yield, he snapped. You are so close to what you need.

Is the heart or the eye down here???

But here and now, I was a fucking god.

My mf GIRLLLLLL

She tasted like redemption.

I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, & dinner

For fuck’s sake, say something, Mische, I told myself in a burst of frustration. I blurted out, “I didn’t write to you because I died.” Raihn stopped mid-step.

Yeah that's exactly where i would've started too