Lightbringer (Empirium, #3)

by Claire Legrand

Corien stroked Simon’s long, matted hair. “You loved your father very much. You should hate me for killing him. I did kill him—I see that now too. You should want to kill me for that, but you’re so afraid of being alone again that you’ll gladly go with me if I tell you to. You’ll do whatever I say for the chance to be with someone who knows what you’ve lost.” He laughed, a frayed sound.

My heart

we’ve begun what you might call a resistance effort. Those who are loyal to Audric. You’ll think it rash, but you aren’t seeing what I’m seeing. We’ve named ourselves Red Crown.

“I’ll die before I help you.” She glared at him through her tears, trembling with a sudden spike of rage. “You can send me a thousand sweet lies, a thousand nights of promises, a thousand dreams of everything I wish for and everyone I have ever loved, and my answer will be the same.”

“Every princess deserves her own private order of spies,”