Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders, #1)

by Robin Hobb

Its deep blue eyes met Brashen’s and widened in expectation like a woman’s when she flirts.

When the dream seized on him he was dragged back to his boyhood, back to a time when all, even himself, had rightly despised him.

She felt a wave of anger, followed by one of annoyance with him. How could he do this to her? How could he die now and leave her to handle everything by herself? Somewhere beneath the tides of those superficial emotions she knew the cold deep current of her grief sought to pull her down and drown her. She fought savagely to be free of it, fought to keep feeling only the anger and irritation. Later, she told herself. Later, when I have pulled through this and have done all the things I must do, then I will stop and feel. Later.