Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts, #1)

by Carissa Broadbent

I disregarded Max’s statement. It felt good to have the ability to disregard the opinion of a man.

Max gave me a little, reluctant smirk, raising his teacup. “And thus, our Threllian princess has spoken.”

foreshadowing that she is a Threllian princess? or a princess?

“You were invited to the Palace to be honored after the end of the war. But you didn’t come.” “You were only six years old then, my Queen. I thought it would likely be past your bedtime.” A collective gasp. Mine joined it. Stupid. Stupid. In Threll, such blatant disrespect could cost a man his life. The remnants of the smile withered at the corners of the Queen’s mouth.

MAX DID NOT JUST------

“But as a Valtain, you’re sensitive to what other people’s minds release into the world. All of those… ripples.” A realization clicked into place as I watched his hands move over the surface of the pond. “Like water.” “Right.” He gave me a faint smile. “The nature or degree to which individual Valtain feel and interpret them is very different, as I’m sure you’re well aware, but we know how you feel them.” “Emotions,” I said. “Generally mild, as far as Valtain mental abilities go. And when it’s just a few, there’s nothing to be concerned about.” As if to demonstrate, he dipped his fingertips into the water, releasing delicate circles across its surface. “But when you’re looking at a big disruption…” I lifted my hands and brought them down in a violent splash, spattering myself and Max in water. He winced. “Exactly.” He gestured to the surface, now shuddering with hundreds of indistinguishable ripples. Right. It was simply too much, all of those waves of feeling clashing together until my mind was as disrupted as this water was. And that was almost exactly what it felt like: like everything that had once been clear and smooth, defined waves and circles, had become a tangled mass of movement.

the way Max can comprehend what she feels and sympathize after being violated by that same power just has me in love with him.

I closed my eyes and imagined it — imagined draping a filter across my own thoughts and building a barrier between me and the world. The faint echo of Max’s presence dimmed further, as did the thrumming presence of the birds and fish. My own head felt quieter. I lifted it, felt those tiny awarenesses bloom back to life. Lowered it again. I felt a smile begin to tug at my mouth. “It’ll take some time to master, like most things,” Max said. “And you’re probably always going to feel it to some extent.” “Good,” I said — and meant it. I wouldn’t want to cut myself off completely from that part of myself, even when it was difficult. As much as it hurt me to feel the overwhelming weight of all those slaves’ emotions at the marketplace years ago, their pain was already mine. I would never want to turn that away. And the fear and anguish and anger that I felt yesterday…

this girl is written so well

“He had the resources to have gotten you out, and chose not to.” “It was not his for doing. He could not free every slave he met in Threll.” I spoke casually, but the truth was, the first two times Zeryth came to visit, I dreamed that he would take me with him when he left. It took a few years for me to decide that my freedom would have to be my responsibility and no one else’s. I couldn’t fault Zeryth for not taking that upon himself, especially since he spent so much time teaching me and indulging my questions. Lighting that fire in my stomach was its own kind of freedom. At least, that was what I told myself. Max shook his head. “That just isn’t what I would consider a friend.” “You do not have friends,” I tried to joke, but Max shot his answer back with decisive intensity. “I have one excellent friend who is far better than I deserve. And if Sammerin was in that position, I would never, ever allow him to stay there.” His words slid between my ribs and twisted in my guts. In that moment, my mind was far, far away from Zeryth. No, my thoughts furled only around Serel. Around my mother. My cheek and forehead burned, scars left by everyone I had abandoned. “It is never so simple,” I shot back, too quickly, too loudly. And perhaps the vehemence of my answer told Max that somehow, we had started talking about something different, because his face shifted in the beginnings of concern.

does he speak as he knows this, or can he learn from her?

“Members of the Orders need to follow directives without the luxury of conditions,” she said. “Firstly, that does not seem to be true.” I gestured to Max. “Secondly, you made very clear that I am not member of the Orders. Not yet.” Nura’s eyes betrayed silent laughter. “Oh, Max. She really has learned a lot from you, hasn’t she?” Then, to me, “Everyone in this room knows that you need us more than we need you. And yet, if I understand you correctly, you’re asking me to inconvenience one of our most important members on one of our most important missions for you?” “You ask for my help, so I ask for yours.” I leaned forward. Max’s words still pounded in my ears. I would never leave him there. Well, I wouldn’t either. Never. “And this is not for me. This is for decency. You already denied thousands of people help. You said it was too much. Now I ask for one person. Is that still too much? Or are the Orders less powerful than they say to be?”

DAMN