Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked, #3)

by Kerri Maniscalco

“Hurry along,” he called over his shoulder. “Some of us have yet to indulge in our baser desires. Murder, unfortunately, seems to be an aphrodisiac only for House Wrath. Surprising to none, actually.”

As far as pissing contests went, it was subtle but effective. Stride into a space, act as if you own it, and bow to no one. I’d need to remember that.

Despite everything chaotic and wrong, a smile tugged at my lips. “Husband.” It felt right. More than right. It felt like coming home.

If we made it out of this fight, I silently vowed I would do everything I could to return to my true self. Never again would I feel powerless or caged.

“I hadn’t intended for that to happen.” “Once something is put in motion, we rarely have control over the outcome, no matter what our initial intentions are.”

“Rise,” he said softly. “Just as they always feared you would.”

He looked like someone who understood, intimately, what it was like to lose everything. To be forced to stand when you wished to fall. To get up on your own and defy the hand of fate that brought so much pain by smacking you down time and again. To choose to live and flourish despite the bad. And most important, to dare to dream of better days while your current world was a living nightmare.

“Subtlety isn’t your strong suit.” “Subtlety is for cowards, my lady.”

“I always knew you. And always will. Your soul calls to mine. It’s a feeling of coming home. Of peace. No magic can duplicate it.”

“Eventually, you’ll learn to focus on the present and let the past go.”

“Reliving what could have been but never will be is pointless. It’ll only hold you back from what you are. One of the hardest things anyone can do is live in the here and now. Not worry about the future, not rehash the past. Be present, that’s the secret to changing your future. To finding true happiness.”