The Serpent And The Wings Of Night Quotes
"The king did not know then that his greatest love would also be his ruination—nor that either would come in the form of a tiny, helpless human child."
"Humans were supposed to be safe here, within the walls of the kingdom—citizens, if inferior ones, weaker than the Nightborn in every way."
"Death isn’t frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence."
"Vampires killed their parents for power, then crippled their own children to keep them from doing the same."
"The details of each test shall be revealed as it begins and not before."
"And love, understand, is sharper than any stake."
"I will give you my victory, or I will give you my death."
"Every falter was met with his hand at my throat—two fingertips pressed to my skin, mimicking fangs."
"I won’t tell you to be careful, Oraya. You must be better than they are."
"No matter how good you are with those fancy weapons, you are still human."
"I won’t tell you to be careful, Oraya. I won’t tell you because I know you are. I taught you to be."
"The world had gone silent. Raindrops of blood became a waterfall."
"I gave you those blades to help you become someone who deserves to wield them."
"Think about why a Rishan would want to get close to you, Oraya. You."
"Working with you? What does working with you look like, by your standards? Following you?"
"We are going to be thrown back into that ring in one day. One day."
"Fear is just a collection of physical responses."
"Don’t trust anyone," Vincent whispered in my ear.
"We’re allies," he said firmly. "You need to let me get close to you."
"You are not like them," he cut in, forcefully. "It never would have been you."
"Magic is an unpredictable force, and your life has changed dramatically these last few weeks."
"Let your heart open!" She flung out her arms wide, beaming.
"Nothing matters but this, Oraya. Nothing. Step over temporary barriers. Once you win, the world is yours."
"You cannot accomplish anything in this world without power," he said. "And power requires sacrifice, focus, and ruthlessness."
"Everything about the way he held himself grew a little rougher, a little less polished."
"Fucking horrific," he said affectionately. "It’s perfect."
"I’ve had plenty of practice drinking terrible alcohol."
"Never make deathbed promises, Oraya. Always bites you in the ass."
"You are a very good actor, is what I mean. You look very… Human."
"This kingdom was a part of me, and I, whether it wanted me or not, was a part of it."
"You have balls, princess. I will give you that."
"I have a lot of people depending on me, and Turned Rishan from the slums don’t get many options."
"You’re safe, Oraya," he murmured in my ear. "Just hold on."
"I was thinking, 'Why would this human put herself in a situation where she was surrounded by predators? Near certain death?'"
"But I still come to places like this regularly. I get a bit exhausted by vampires, sometimes."
"You are not the only one who knows how to kill."
"Be careful with him. He’s pretty, but he’s still a Rishan."
"They will not wait until you are dead. There is only hunger."
"Killers reduced to prey for entertainment. Just like all of us, really."
"I realized that fear, when embraced, hardens and sharpens. That it becomes rage. That it becomes power."
"To be young and in love is an incredible thing. It teaches one so much."
"She thought she was in love. She had not learned yet how deadly such a thing could be."
"Never be ashamed of exceeding expectations, even mine."
"Fear is a collection of... Fear is the fucking KEY to it."
"I’m with you, Oraya. Right now. You don’t have time. We’ll go together. Alright?"
"They are livestock. You never would have allowed yourself to be one of them, because you are better than them. I made you better."
"The decisions that I make for my people and my kingdom are beyond your judgment."
"This is war. The Rishan were a threat. They attacked our eastern outposts."
"I pushed Raihn out of the way and collided with Ivan at full force."
"I could have killed you. Many said I should have."
"You think I pity you? I don’t pity you, Oraya. I just think you deserve better."
"Look at them. These aren't people. They are livestock."
"You need to ask yourself some hard questions. Why is he afraid of you, Oraya?"
"I hated them, I hated them, I HATED THEM I HATED—"
"You’re safe, Oraya. I need you to know that."
"I wanted this—Mother, I wanted it, the slick ache between my legs promised that."
"We met, two hundred years ago. The day you took power and opened a river of blood in this city."
"He didn’t ask it with any judgment, only genuine concern."
"I don’t know why I’m doing any of this anymore."
"I became aware of the warmth of his skin under my palm, the thrum of his heartbeat."
"I saw death coming for me at the edge of Raihn’s blade."
"You are more than what he made you," he said.
"I was a little surprised that I was able to move at all."
"The truth, even though in some ways it felt like a lie."
"All this bloodshed over a fucking fairytale."
"That I would learn from you, and then get rid of you after the Halfmoon, and it would all be easy."
"Maybe that was why I picked you, too. Because right away, I liked you, princess."
"It would be easy if he was lying. Easy to hate him if our friendship, our… relationship, had been nothing but a performance."
"He won’t hurt me," I said again, because I didn’t know how to explain to her how certain I was of this.
"Good thing you freed us from that tyrant," I spat. "Everything looks so much more peaceful now, doesn’t it?"
"I give you my body. I give you my blood. I give you my soul. I give you my heart."
"Power is a bloody business. You know that as well as I do."
"Because you’re smarter than her. You have more than a dream. You have vision."