Within Obsession and Lies (A Court of Gilt and Shadow, #1)

by Stacy Jones

Padding barefoot to the kitchen, she rounded the corner and saw her cat, Asshole, cleaning himself by the sink, his silky black fur gleaming in the soft light of the moon shining through the window. He paused to hiss at her, and for some reason, the normalcy of his perpetually rude behavior helped settle her.

We think that about our cats we don't actually NAME them that.

Realizing Asshole was still glaring at her, she arched a brow in response. Four years ago, she found him as a kitten living on the streets, starving and near death. He hated her on sight, but she hadn’t been able to leave him to die. Arawyn hoped he would come around eventually. He hadn’t. In fact, his animosity toward her only seemed to grow as the years passed. “Someday you’re going to stop hating me.”

This must be your fist cat. He probably won't

Looking deeply offended, he straightened and jumped off the counter, sauntering away with his tail lifted high in a feline ‘fuck you.’

At least not everyone is drawn to you. He's giving you a reprieve from the obsession

That done, he took a moment to draw the natural Allure all Fae gave off into himself so he could make it through the night without anyone becoming enthralled.

Shes a changeling

Arawyn

Ill probably wind up naming a cat this in the future

The first few buttons of his shirt were open, as though he’d undone them in an effort to relax, exposing a glimpse of bronzed skin and a chiseled, tattooed chest she wanted to trail her hands down.

Bat Boy knockoff TM

She imagined him as a man who got exactly what he wanted,

He sounds like a nightmare already.

There was a glint of possession in his gaze, as though she were his and just didn’t know it, yet.

Jail

“You know, where if we haven’t met anyone by the time we’re a thou- er, forty, we get married.”

I knew it. Hes fae

No matter how badly he wanted to ask her outright, the curse placed upon him during his banishment from Faery wouldn’t allow him to speak of anything relating to forbidden magic or the Fae,

There was something about him that just screamed ‘mentally unstable.’

"Im just pete and i like jugs im mentally ill and im on drugs..."

The contrast of those brilliantly blue eyes against his black hair and bronze skin was striking.

Rhysand is lost

an intoxicating blend of moonlit lilies, spring thunderstorms, and warm vanilla.

I need this perfume.

“I, uh, tried to bring your cat. He… resisted. Vigorously.” She tried, she tried so hard to hold the laugh in, but he just looked so put out that Asshole hadn’t fallen for his charms.

“I filled up his food and water dishes before we left.”

Green flag

because who the fuck got flustered over being kidnapped—she

*awkward silence from the booktok crowd*

I did think about not killing him, so you could question him. Buuut… I’d kind of already killed him by the time I thought of that.”

“You pronounced ‘saved my ass’ incorrectly.”

At the sound of a meow, Arawyn pushed off the stool. Back in the living room, Rathe sneered at the sight of the feline. Seeing him at the same time, its back arched sharply as it hissed.

THANK FUCKING GOD

Intending to question why the fuck she had a cat, the only animal that universally hated High Fae, he turned to her only for the words to die unspoken.

So the cat isn't a dick then

Eyes narrowed to slits, she snarled, “Asshole.” Going perfectly, dangerously still, he questioned softly, “What did you call me?” Arawyn widened her eyes innocently and called out in a sing-song voice, “Asshole.” A meow answered her. Smirking, she peered at the cat. “There you are—” With a look up at him she added, “Asshole.”

Arawyn was as different from those pampered, simpering ladies as night to day.

Not like other girls TM

Fear had gone on to shock the hell out of her by carrying Asshole up the stairs. In his arms. Arawyn had watched on, slack-jawed, as he cradled the imposter who looked like her cat but couldn’t be, because Asshole hated everyone.

Asshole is the main character as far as im concerned

smiled sweetly, enjoying their banter. Sparring with Fear was so different from sparring with Braven.

Oh yeah wtf happened with him?

Fear stood and snatched a bottle of liquor from the bar, then guided her back into the kitchen and gently sat her down. She went along easily, still too stunned to do much else. Kneeling again, Fear propped one of her feet on his knee and set to cleaning the nicks on her lower leg. Rathe followed and stood at Fear’s back, regarding the cuts the big man was cleaning with the liquor through narrowed eyes, tracing his lower lip with his tongue. “That’s a three thousand dollar bottle of bourbon,” Rathe commented mildly. “Mmhm,” Fear hummed back.

“Arawyn,” Rathe started. When he had her attention, he sat forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Have you ever heard the term ‘Changeling’?”

Called it

She could maybe be convinced to sacrifice a bad human, like a serial killer or something, but no animals. That would just be too far.

So, if they make vampires popular in movies and books, that Clan becomes stronger, because more humans are glorifying them. Same for witches and werewolves and everything else, yes?” “Exactly.” “Holy shit. I wonder how much I affected them in my Twilight phase as a kid.” Viper growled, “Those fucking movies! The ‘vamp’ and ‘werewolf’ Clans were out of control. The ‘demons’ were pissed. They’d been top dogs for most of, what”—he glanced at Fear—“like the last thousand years?” “Mm, thereabouts, yes.”

Viper’s eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. “Well! Now that you don’t want to see, I want to show you. What is this witchery?”

“I’ve heard of this. Reverse psychology. Devious stuff, that.”