Feathers So Vicious (Court of Ravens, #1)

by Liv Zander

For every girl who can love a villain, so long as he’s handsome, hung, and good at groveling.

“If a wife cannot speak ill of her husband, then what joys are there left for her in marriage?”

“Spoiled at your command, Mother,” I said. “Surely you will not blame a daughter for her parents’ poor choices where her childhood rearing was concerned?”

“You’ve met my father?” “Oh, I know him… intimately. There is no cut, no bruise, no broken bone, no humiliation your father spared me.” He sneered, letting my pulse thud loudly in my ears. “Because of your father, I am a million shattered pieces, put back together all wrong. Now get that damn knife away from me before you accidentally hurt yourself. Only I get to hurt you.”

“Life marks us all in one way or another.” Sebian dunked the cloth into the water. “The only scars truly ugly are usually the ones on the inside, anyway.”

“Your father is holding one of our own in his dungeons. We want an exchange of prisoners.” “That was a very ill way to pronounce guests.”

A prince with no kingdom, no kin, no rightful claim to the throne of Dranada. Five hells, he didn’t even possess manners. The only thing he actually did have was the personality of crotch lice. But all I said was, “What a catch, indeed.”

“What is court’s newest gossip? Your mouth is talented in many things, but none so much as running it.”

“Which is pretty fucking deranged, but I’m not one to judge… We’re all a bit broken here.” We’re all a bit broken here.

Goddess help me, she was so fucking beautiful in my eyes, drool and all.

“Even someone with the charm of syphilis sores would look like the better option standing beside you, Malyr,” I pointed out. “You’re plain awful to her every chance you get, hurting and humiliating her. It’s driving her straight into my arms… and my bed.”

“Home. Such a comforting word if one has a home, isn’t it?”

“I will come for you, Galantia. May it take a year or a lifetime, I will come for you.” “And then?” “Then I will shatter you into a million pretty pieces.” His lips brushed over my temple, shifting my thin wisps of hair. “But instead of leaving you wrecked and ruined, I’ve decided that I will put you back together in my grotesque image. Will take your pain and pleasure, your tears and blood, your moans and screams, so I may put you back together… all… wrong.”

“Maybe you are already a little bit cracked, a little bit broken. Look at me.”

Nobody else aside from the six Tidestone soldiers, who quickly carried in three heavy trunks. They lowered them to the floor, the coins inside clanking in lieu of Mother’s frantic yelp upon our reunion, Father’s questions of my well-being, or whatever other noises loving parents usually made. Not that I knew.

His words carved at my heart, hollowing it, expanding the void. Yes, I was a disappointment… to everyone. Gods, I’d even failed at being a political hostage.

“No matter how much you want to hate me, it’ll never measure up to the loathing my father clearly harbors for me. You think you rendered me worthless? Don’t flatter yourself, Malyr. I was born worthless.”

“The longer you make me look at you, little dove, the harder it is for me to remember what you are. And I fear that, if I look too long… I just might forget who you are."

“Maybe we are truly fated only to end in emotional tragedy…” “Little dove,” his whisper came with a salty kiss to my lips before he straightened and placed his own by my ear, “love is tragedy.” I hate that I love you.

Because for the first time in my life, I didn’t just watch life from within the safety of gentle hands. Malyr’s hands were rarely gentle, but they certainly never coddled. No, they shoved me straight into life, demanding I participated. And I loved it.

“You were not supposed to be quite so perfect, little dove,”