What Lurks Between the Fates (Of Flesh & Bone, #3)

by Harper L. Woods

“It has been suggested that my mate may be enough to increase my power so that I could stand a fighting chance, but we never considered what you may be. You are more than just a mate for me to love, and your power will feed our bond far more than a human's life force ever could. No matter what you are, there is something inside of you that will frighten Mab when she comes to realize how deep it runs in you. When you factor in our bond, the two of us would be unstoppable if we could only complete the ceremony and tie our lives together in truth.”

“We need to set boundaries,” he said, swallowing as he realized how unfair that was. “Funny that when I use it against you, it is time for boundaries, but when you do it, it’s for my own good,” I said, raising an eyebrow and trying to highlight his ridiculous double standards. “I do it to protect you. Not to make you confess your secrets,” he said.

“Just because I love him does not mean I do not see his wrongdoings. Caldris is far from perfect. I can, however, trust him with my life,”

She wanted to know if I saw myself as the hero of my story, but I didn't. I only saw myself as the villain of hers.

“My freedom does not need to come at the cost of the freedom of another. There is no reason we cannot all be free to live our lives how we desire,”

Our world is not ready for women in power as peaceful rulers,”

I didn't care if Estrella was more powerful. I didn't care if she ruled over me, and I was the figurehead at her side. All I wanted was to stand beside her in all her glory. All I wanted was to love her for eternity. That meant loving all of her. The powerful parts of her that possessed magic so strong it coated my tongue. The sweet parts that were so unaccustomed to unconditional love that she looked at it suspiciously. The innocent flower that had been scorched by a hard life, and the female who rose from the ashes of it, ready to right the wrongs done to her. That was love.

“Sometimes, it is far easier to see the good in others than it is to see it in ourselves. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is understand that while we are not perfect, the way we defend ourselves is not an indication of our character but purely of our will to live so that we might do the right thing when given the freedom to do so.”

All it took for evil to flourish was for the good to do nothing.

I would love her until chaos reigned, no matter what or who tried to come between us.

But it is me who will share his bed for the rest of his days. You are one of countless others who will never again know the way his body feels, and you never knew the truth of him. He lives within me, his soul as much a part of me as mine,”

“She cannot use you for evil if you do not allow it. Knowledge is power, but do you really think anything she does is stronger than you?” Fallon asked, her voice a low murmur. “You have lived in fear of what you are. You have suffered the pain of suppressing yourself to protect the world. When will you learn that you are not our destruction, Estrella? You are our savior.”

“I wondered why I existed, if this is all there was for me. There had to be a reason my parents came together against the odds. There needed to be a reason I was a God when it went against the natural order of things. What good did that power do me when I was taken before I could speak?” “Caldris,” I protested, trying to turn my gaze away from him. He held me still, pinning me with that icy intensity as cold crept up my spine. The room filled with the vestiges of his power. From the corner of my eye, I caught frost sliding along the walls. “You are my reason, Estrella,” he said. I

“You are my reason for every breath. The reason every day I have spent as a prisoner has been worth it. Because it brought me to you.”

“I didn’t understand when you said you would let the world die if it meant I could survive the wreckage.

I hadn’t let myself love you… not like this,” I explained, stepping toward him slowly. My bottom lip trembled, this confession feeling different from all the others. “But I do now.”

“Play the long game if you want to win. Cunning over wrath.”

“Revenge comes to those who wait.

“You’re as much a monster as me,” she mumbled, the words barely audible. “For him, I will be.”

“And who will save you?” Twyla asked, shaking her head.

“The same person who always has,” I answered, glancing down at the golden marks on my skin as my nerves threatened to tear me in two. “I’m going to save myself.”