To Kill a Kingdom (Hundred Kingdoms, #1)

by Alexandra Christo

For those I love who never got the chance to see this happen

I HAVE A HEART for every year I’ve been alive. There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle, just to check they’re still there. Buried deep and bloody. I count each of them, so I can be sure none were stolen in the night. It’s not such an odd fear to have. Hearts are power, and if there’s one thing my kind craves more than the ocean, it’s power.

I HAVE A HEART for every year I’ve been alive.

There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle, just to check they’re s...

Love and madness are two stars in the same sky. You cannot build a roof to keep out last year’s rain.

If your only instrument is a sword, then you will always strike at your problems.

“Try not to breathe,” I tell her. “It might get stuck halfway out.” Lira flicks up her hood. “You should try not to talk then,” she retorts. “Nobody wants your words being preserved for eternity.”

“If that is what pearls are worth these days, I’ll make sure to invest in diamonds.”