Throne in the Dark Quotes

“Damien had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “Surely, I don’t look like that.” “It’s close,” she warned, features relaxing. “You have resting villain face.” “I am a villain.” And then Amma, the girl he had abducted, dragged across the realm, and threatened to murder, actually rolled her eyes at him.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Did you hear that?” Amma’s sharp whisper cut into Damien’s mind as it began to drift into sleep. He groaned. “You mean that terrifying cry that sounded like a woman being gutted?” “Yes!” “No, I didn’t. Go to sleep.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“My life’s work,” said Damien, lips curling at the corners and thin, black brows narrowing. “It is finally complete.” He was twenty-seven.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Only slightly red from the pressure, the markings would be gone in just a few moments, but he rubbed his thumbs over the soft flesh on the inside of her wrists anyway. “Apologies if I was too rough for your liking.” She shook her head, still averting her gaze as he tried to find it with his own. “I see. Tighter next time, then,” he whispered”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Holy gods,” she whispered. “Infernal darkness,” he corrected,”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Um, Damien?” Amma cleared her throat. “Are you really complaining they didn’t put us in a sturdier cell?” “I know you’ve likely become accustomed to this, Amma, but I find it ridiculous. Is it too much to ask to be treated like a threat? I mean, look at me.” He held his hands out, turning to her and standing to his full height.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“She would either continue to be obedient or give him a reason to threaten and manhandle her again, and he wasn’t entirely sure which one he preferred.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Amma turned her head inward and nestled her shoulder against his, a hand finding its way to his chest. Damien nearly dropped her. He had been prepared for her to wake at the jostling, see his face so close and scream, flail and struggle to get away, but instead she’d once again utterly baffled him and—what was this? Snuggling? His stomach turned over. “What do I do with this?” he asked the room.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Scorlisha Baneblade of the Mounted Beasts, The Plague Bringer Norasthmus, and Dave from Next Door Who Insists on Doing Yard Work at Dawn,”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“There she went, saying his name again. The first time it had been on her tongue, she’d been sobbing, but even then it felt too visceral, too intimate, and shortly after she had repeated it as a soft plea, and that had—well, fuck, it had done a number of things to him, none of which he cared to think on too long. Very few called him by his given name, but even now as she chastised him, it was like she were whispering it directly into his chest, making the muscles there tighten around her voice and hold it still so it couldn’t escape.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Damien gave her a look, one he feared was more adoring than he would have liked to let on.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“What, um…what are they?” Damien thought a moment. “They’re a sort of excessively zealous consortium who have unorthodox views.” “You have a cult?” Amma’s voice was squeaky even as she tried to keep it low. “No, no, this is their own thing, not mine. Big fans of my father, really, I just drop by in his stead on occasion.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Amma sitting on the single, narrow cot, which had been a complete waste of an only-one-bed situation and managed to somehow heighten the frustration he was feeling.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“To what are we to give unholy gratitude for the dark delight of your visit, Master?”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Fuck!” she squeaked. “Did you just say fuck?” Under the moonlight, Damien’s smile was the most delighted she had ever seen,”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Amma found herself staring at Damien again, this time outwardly, and when he inquired what was on her mind, she did not look away. “You could have left them, or even killed them, but you helped them instead. That was very sweet of you.” “Oh, Amma, thank you.” She beamed at his sudden appreciation for the compliment, then her smile faltered. “Wait, really?” He pressed a hand to his stomach. “Yes, of course—you’ve rectified the fact you’ve given away all of our food: I don’t think I’ll ever have an appetite again after being called sweet.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Well, what am I supposed to do here?” He shrugged. “That’s none of my concern, just don’t leave the premises.” Amma placed her empty cup down then leaned a hip against the table. “Fine. I guess I can take Branson up on his offer.” Damien had turned but came to a stop, looking back. “What offer?” She tapped her lips in thought, eyes wide and blinking and as innocent as she could playact. “Oh, something about showing me how they manage to get all those massive cider barrels crammed into the really tight back room. I bet it’s fascinating.” Damien groaned, scratching at his smooth chin. “On second thought, your assistance may come in handy.” “Are you sure?” She bit her lip. “Because Branson seemed really interested in showing me how those barrels get filled.” He glared across the tavern at the man. “The only thing that barkeep is interested in filling, is you with Branson-son.” She gasped, too playful now to be convincing. “No! That can’t be what he meant. It’s got nothing to do with chickens.” “Chickens?” “He said if I went back there with him, he’d show me his massive co—” “Sanguinisui, go outside!”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“But he didn’t just dump her onto the bed and leave her there, though he’d been envisioning doing just that the whole walk. “You are an incredible pain in the ass,” he grumbled, setting her down gently. Amma mumbled just as Damien turned to leave, something that sounded much too much like, “Wait until we’re married.” He froze, looking back at her. “What was that?”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“While the argument has been made for a number of villains to ascend to the coveted spot of Supreme Evil, notably Everild the Necromancer, Scorlisha Baneblade of the Mounted Beasts, The Plague Bringer Norasthmus, and Dave from Next Door Who Insists on Doing Yard Work at Dawn,”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Blame not one’s failings on cruelty when ignorance is the much more likely cause,”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Damien wrapped his free arm around her back and yanked her away from the wall so she could no longer kick it. Pulling her up against him, he dipped his head beside her ear. “I will not allow anything to happen to you,” he said, leveling something like comfort into his voice, “but you must be quiet now. Please.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Sestoth, forgive me,” she said quietly, then turned to Damien. “When I run, you follow me, no detours, and no attacking anyone, got it?” “Are you really giving me an order to—” She poked a finger against his chest. “Got it?” He frowned, then smirked. “Yes, ma’am.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Amma looked away quickly, glad the dark would hide her face. Disturbingly, she found she liked impressing him with her worst behavior.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Damien considered her, the way the tip of her tongue poked out from between her teeth and how her freckles bunched up as she grinned, and there was a moment, however brief and absolutely mad, he would have given her anything she asked for then. Well, that’s bloody dangerous, he thought,”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“His smile stretched impossibly wide over his bony skull as he gestured to Amma with the magicked flame. “And we just got a new, dragon-shaped gravy boat, but it’s never been used, so it should make a lovely collection vessel for the blood from the virgin you’ve brought to sacrifice.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“But then her mother’s words flitted through her head, as they often did when she felt anger well up in her heart. Blame not one’s failings on cruelty when ignorance is the much more likely cause, or, more simply, most of the time people weren’t mean, they were just dumb. Amma would have settled, then, on telling him she thought he was very, very dumb.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental, and would, frankly, be pretty damn wild, don’t you think?”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“He couldn’t believe it, not for a moment, even when she said it herself, that there was a single soul in the realm that she couldn’t convince to fall in utter and unconditional love with her.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Damien, blood mage, son of a demon, was cuddling her.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark

“Let them believe if they only surrender to your will completely, you’ll make it worth it, in the end.”
― A.K. Caggiano, Throne in the Dark