The Ascended (The Aesymarean Duet, #1)

by Bree Grenwich

"I've always got your back, Thais. You know that."

The man who had raised us as his own, who had loved our mother more than anything—I couldn't break his heart.

I was simply... free. Powerful. Complete.

"Walk with me?"

"Where to?" "The cliffs. I need to see the sea."

Life is already dangerous."

"I know, love. I've got you."

"You're subtle as a brick through a window,"

"I love you too, little fish. Both of you. More than all the stars in the sky."

He looked at Thatcher and me with eyes full of love and pride and terrible, terrible peace.

I bared my teeth in something that might have been a smile—and pulled.

He was solid and warm and alive, and in that instant, nothing else mattered.

He'd created us through violence. It seemed fitting that violence would be what destroyed him.

"You're an idiot," I whispered. "Must run in the family."

I quite literally pulled down the stars and forged them into a gods-damned sword, for fucks sake.

"Heroes die screaming. Only killers ascend."

"You think you could break me?" "Break you?" His laugh was cold. "Breaking would be such a waste. I'd much rather watch you bend."

"You enjoy playing with fire, don't you? Seeing how close you can get before you burn."

"Before I make you burn."

"Yes, starling,"

I was hoping you'd be exhausted enough to give me a semblance of peace this evening.

Starlight met corrupted metal,

"You're not what I expected, Thais Morvaren."

"Neither are you,"

"But books don't share the judgement of the living."

"Do you collect them yourself?" I quipped. "I'm sure you're an expert at making people cry."

"So, tell me, starling,"

"Which one of your parents is divine?"

"And let's not forget your unnatural beauty. The kind that is so distracting, starling.

"Survive, starling,"

"Don't get sentimental on me now, starling. I have a reputation to maintain."

"Right. Can't have people thinking the Prince of Draknavor has a heart."

"Preci...

"Good girl."

"No game." He moved closer. "Just observation." "Observe from farther away."

"He's arrogant, controlling, and being around him makes me want to commit violence." "Sounds like foreplay to me."

You must be so tired of running.'"

"They want a monster? I'll give them one. But on my terms."

"Kneeling? To you? I'd rather eat glass."

“I thought you just... appeared. Dramatically. With unnecessary flair.” “Only when the situation calls for it.”

“There’s much you don’t know about me, starling.” “Whose fault is that?” “Fair point.”

his features settling into the cold mask of authority he wore like armor.

“But remember, little prince, even the Warden of the Damned needs sweetness in his life occasionally.”

“You actually smiled in there. I didn’t think your face could make that shape.”

What kind of person was drawn to darkness?

“That death is meaningless without life,”

“That one defines the other.”

"This is..." he began, his voice dropping lower, "dangerous territory, starling.

"Now I find myself in the unprecedented position of wanting to protect your secret rather than exploit it."

"Everything I've done has been to keep you alive, starling."