Dark Queen (Jane Yellowrock, #12)

by Faith Hunter

“Dude showed up unannounced, and tried to kill you. Double case of the rudes,”

“You people are sadistic. I’m going back to my game.” “Shooting and dismembering nonhumans on video? Sadistic, much?” Eli asked, his words sorta mushy, due to his chin on fists. “Totally not the same,” Alex said, shaking his head, the long, tight curls around his face swinging. “Alien bugs. Exoskeletons. Antennae. Multiple legs. Green goo instead of blood.”

“We don’t poison. We shoot, stab, cut, slice and dice, eviscerate, disembowel, and decapitate.

And—Ayatas was here to use me. I had known it. Yet, some small piece of innocence and hope died inside me. The coffin that was my chest ached.

and spinning wheels rolled past and two kids wearing navy blue hooded jackets leaned out the windows, sitting on the window edges, catcalling, telling me that they had some big . . . uh, things for me. I laughed and ignored them. If they tried anything I had some things for them too, and they were shiny and sharp with the word no written on them in blood.

big bad fangbangers

Beast didn’t understand money or numbers greater than five and, like a cat, figured she could either wear me down or outsmart me into getting what she wanted.

there are just so many times one’s heart can be broken before it hardens in some sad, fragmented, disarranged formation, where it doesn’t work right anymore. I felt almost nothing and I was more sad about that than I was about killing

You do seem to attract heroes.

Clean water that shouts as it falls through rocks.

And danged if Leo, the Master of the City of New Orleans and most of the Southeastern United States, the baddest of the big, bad fanged uglies, didn’t have a pale pink tear gliding down his face. “Will you come to me with your fears and with your heart?” Leo asked her. “Always. I will never fail you again. I will trust you. I will fight with you. I follow your orders without fear.”

Ming Zoya was wearing unrelieved black—pants, shoes, and a jacket that was woven to show a large dragon shimmering across the back when the light caught it just right.

Ming Zhane of Glass was wearing scarlet. Their colors clashed and blended, like lava and stone. The Mings were graceful, delicate, and they carried themselves with deadly balance and purpose, even kneeling.

“I pondered much while buried in water with the dead.

This was all huggy huggy kiss kiss, but boring.

Beast looked up from blood and licked jaw, raspy tongue cleaning lips and muzzle. Like Leo. Have seen Leo fight in drops of water. Leo is like kit. Must be protected. Will give drop of time water to Jane and see what Leo does.

His blood was thick and bright, sweet like agave syrup. Beast’s synesthesia flared, giving Gee’s blood the chill of deep blue water; the smell of midnight in a winter forest, thousands of stars overhead, shimmering through naked branches; the sound/vision of indigo or woad splashing in a vat, staining a pair of hands. The sensations shimmered into taste and texture of ground lapis lazuli and sugar on my tongue, the sound of sapphire wings in flight.

I will love her as sister of my heart.” Sister of my heart was a formal vamp saying that meant adoption.

Leo repeated my words, “Live long and prosper.” Hearing the Vulcan blessing from Leo’s lips was giggleworthy, but I managed to smother the laugh. Leo drank and ate a few nuts. Eli and I followed his example. In companionable silence I finished my beer. Then Leo refilled the scotch glasses and pushed my second beer to me. Leo said, “However, I prefer QaStaHvIS yIn ‘ej chep.” I stopped with the beer held in the air, ice water dripping from my fingers. Eli said, “Klingon? You did not just say ‘Live long and prosper’ in Klingon.” “Oh, but I did. And I do hope that my Jane may live many decades more and prosper greatly.” He held up his free hand in the Vulcan V salute, gave an abbreviated nod, and sipped.

“Spitfire Island and Contempt Isle.

I’d been flying by the seat of my pants so long I was surprised my undies didn’t have wings.

Coffee. Common grounds? Ha-ha?

“Leap of leopards,” Aya said. “Not clan.”

she swiveled her head to me in one of those not-human moves that’s a lot more like a lizard or a bird than a mammal.

“The U.S. military PTBs would give their accumulated right testicles for that formula.

“I don’t give a flaming pink flamingo if you’re busy.

Eli sawed. Bra came loose and Eli peeled bra down Beast legs. Bra was dead. Jane should kill bras.

A few raindrops splatted down for a moment, big splashy things that left star patterns in the sand.

in his pristine British accent.

Sabina turned her head in one of those bizarre, squicky motions that was more lizard than human and looked around the room.

His tears tore into me like claws into raw meat.

I stole a serving platter and loaded it up with enough bacon and eggs to stuff a great white shark,