Nightbane (Lightlark, #2)

by Alex Aster

And Oro. He was there in an instant, cradling her in his arms. He was not one for dramatic reactions, which only made his expression of horror more concerning.

I love this man

No one knew about her past with Grim. No one knew she was secretly also a Nightshade.

why do i not remember this omg

“Breathe,” she said to herself, before taking a deep breath, knowing how ridiculous it was that she had to remind herself, vocally, of a body’s basic function. Her nails dug into her palms, trying to keep herself in the moment, as if she were clinging to an anchor instead of becoming unmoored yet again in the shifting currents of her mind. “Don’t forget to exhale too.” Oro.

anxiety in a nutshell

She didn’t want to put others first, not after everything she had just been through. A person could only take so much. Her trust had been broken, along with her heart. There wasn’t much left of her to give. She wanted to be selfish with the parts that remained. Didn’t she deserve that?

Such a beautiful but sad paragraph

Isla opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, they did something she couldn’t have expected. Didn’t deserve.

Why did this make me so sad

Oro didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. She could read a thousand words in his amber eyes, like you can do this. I’m here for you.

Oro is everything

She thought of her vision again and Grim’s voice. Come back to me, he had said. That was what he wanted. The creatures were clearly summoned by Grim. There was a reason they hadn’t hurt her.

Grim is being straight up diabolical rn.

She heard Ella saying her name, attempting to pull her up.

ELLA MY GIRLLLL

When Oro had found Isla, shaking and raw skinned, he had looked like he wanted to bring the entire island down. The very ground beneath their feet had shaken as he had said, very calmly, “Who did this to you?”

MY MAN FRRRR

“If you hurt her,” he said, voice lethally calm, “she will kill you. And then I will find a way to revive you so I can kill you again with my own bare hands.”

put me out of my misery

He thought she had signed up for this. He didn’t know who she was.

WHAT.

Just as he deepened their kiss, she grabbed her dagger from where it was holstered on her thigh. Gripped its hilt. And stabbed him through the chest.

STOP IT RN.

“They’re my favorite color.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “My eyes happen to be your favorite color?”

kill me

Oro turned to her, then. He looked her right in the eyes as he said, “Isla. You are my favorite everything.”

i am going to go cry on the floor

“No, Isla,” he finally said. “It’s the parts you don’t seem to like about yourself that I love the most.” Love—

ORO THE MAN YOU ARE.

She didn’t respond, and he studied her expression. Sighed. “I wish you could see yourself the way I do. You would never doubt yourself again.”

so pure.

“Every time I see you, I think the gods must play favorites. Every time you’re near me, I am overcome with the urge to bed you, to have you, again and again. I want to devour every inch of you, until you’re all I taste, until you are shaking with pleasure in my arms. That is what I want.”

GOODBYE

But, in an abundance of caution, I took his memories away.” Isla blinked. “That’s something . . . you can do?” He nodded, as if it were not the cruelest power in the world. “It’s . . . permanent?” “If I want it to be.”

why did he take her memories I'm so CONFUSED

“You are not something special to me. You are not something I want to love.” He reached up to her lips and smeared her red lipstick with his thumb. “You are something I want to ruin.”

All self respect would leave my body

He was looking at her mother the way Oro looked at Isla. Like he would gladly lay his life down for hers.

dipped his head, so his cold breath was against her mouth. “All right. I will not touch you again until you ask me to. I won’t touch you again until you beg me to.”

STOP IT

“Please,” he said, sounding pained. “Please, tell me you want this.” He waited for her to nod. He traced her body with his eyes

Screaming crying throwing up

“Let me talk, heart,” he said, pressing a finger against her lips. “Interrupting is very rude.”

Grim is so sassy

Grim’s voice seemed to rumble the world as he said, “Let go of my wife.”

EXCUSE ME WHAT?????????????

So before Grim could portal them to Nightshade, she turned and said, “I love you, Oro.” She closed her eyes tightly. Felt tears sweep down. She took Grim’s hand. “But I love him too.”

Absolutely gutting. Oro you deserve better I'm sorry