The Faithless Quotes

“That fire consumes all that it touches. What will you have to become to withstand her flames?”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“No,” Touraine said quickly. “I’m just a soldier.” Aranen raised her eyebrow. “My girl, you haven’t been just a soldier in a very long time.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Mercy is only for the secure.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“If any man could challenge you in either intellect, charisma, or military might, bind him to you with secrets or kill him; there is no other choice.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“A ruler does not have friends. They cannot because self-interest rules us all.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“I think it might be her, Aranen. I may be the world’s biggest idiot, but I think I want her. And for the first time, it won’t hurt anybody else.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Luca had bent. Luca had bent for her.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“But I’m not above killing one man.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Touraine didn’t realize her hand was shaking until Luca tightened hers around it. “Then we will.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“She pulled Luca’s cold hand into her lap. “Your Majesty?” she said, teasing to cover the sudden flutter of nerves in her stomach. “Touraine, I swear—” “What if we did?” Touraine asked. Luca’s face went slack with surprise. “What if we really can build something new?” Touraine continued. Quickly, before she lost the clarity she felt. “With the gods, with the Taargens, with the people in the city? Something better.” Luca searched Touraine’s face cautiously. “You want to? With me?” “I want to.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“there were two now on her left hand beneath the glove, one for Tiro on her smallest finger and one for Bastien next to it. Another, heavier ring for Gil rested on a chain against her heart. Luca would never forget what this throne had cost her.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Are you happy, then?” she asked. “You’ve killed my second father. The love of your brother’s life. Is that enough?”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“If you’re looking for an escape from duty, it never comes.” Luca took Touraine’s hand. The tenderness of the touch, her long fingers twined in Touraine’s own, belied the bitterness of her words. “It will plague you, keep you up at night, make you hate yourself. You will never be good enough to satisfy it. It will make you give up the thing you want most in the world for what is necessary. You can’t escape unless you stop caring. Can you do that?” Luca tilted her head, daring Touraine to lie.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Because I was afraid. Because it felt normal to me. Now that she’d seen the duke’s scrutiny turn to Ghadin, there were even more reasons that she would let him do it again—So that you won’t have to. So that he forgets you even exist. She blinked up at the sky.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Touraine had only used one of Shāl’s gifts. The one that marks its user by the eyes. She wondered if Aranen thought of Djasha every time she looked into Touraine’s eyes. Touraine did, every time she looked at Aranen.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Mm-hmm. And now you’ve found this power. And it’s beyond anything you imagined. It should be able to right all the wrongs in the world, let alone this one inconvenience of broken flesh. And since you found it once, you should be able to find it again, shouldn’t you? When you can’t, it’s hard not to feel like the breaking is your fault.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“In the end, it was that simple. Give the Balladairans what they want, and they won’t hurt you. Speak the way they speak, and you’ll get sweets. Pray to your gods, and they’ll beat you. If you act like them, they will care for you. So Cantic had taught Touraine.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“Sabine glared at the board. “Oh, fuck off, I had you.” “That’s ‘fuck off, Your Highness.’” Luca smirked.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“The truth at the heart.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless

“A ruler does not have friends. They cannot.”
― C.L. Clark, The Faithless