Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2)

by Leigh Bardugo

Does the bird feel the weight of its wings?

The privateer grinned. Again I was struck by the thought that there was something off about his features.

They may be different, I reminded myself as we headed into the palace, but they both want to use you just the same.

Vasily laughed. “I can’t decide if you’re a fearmonger or a coward.” “And I can’t decide if you’re an idiot or an idiot.”

“We’ll see,” I murmured, and waved them away. They rose to go, but I called them back. “Some of the pilgrims have taken to calling Genya Razrusha’ya. Warn them once. If they speak that word again, cut out their tongues.” They didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. They made their bows and were gone.

A dead martyr was less trouble than a living Saint.