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598 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2012
“History is written by the victors. The truth is, the villains were less villainous, and the heroes less heroic, than you’ve been told.”
“I am a Gray Wolf queen. We have never been graceful losers. And so, I do not intend to lose. I will fight you until the last breath leaves my body. You will not take me alive.”
“Complicated. And yet—simple. They were like two pieces of a failed star, drawn together by a shared history and a memory of illicit kisses.”
“But I don't want your throne."
"Then what do you want?"
"You.”
“I have the life I want,” Raisa said. “Oh, I know it’s not perfect, and people are trying to kill me, and nobody in the queendom can get along, and we’ll likely be invaded soon, but other than that…”
“I just hope he doesn’t expect me to marry Kip,” Raisa said, shuddering. “I’d leap from the tower first.”
Cat snickered, and that set Magret to laughing, and soon they were all in convulsions.
“Even w-worse,” Cat cackled, blotting tears of mirth from her eyes. “Maybe he wants you to marry b-b-both of them.”
“I’ll make you a rope, Your Majesty, so you can hang yourself,” Magret said.”
“Finally, he knelt beside it. “I told you to stay!” he muttered. “Don’t you ever listen?”
This was so ludicrous, the dog such an unexpected walk-on, that Raisa couldn’t help laughing, though her eyes were blurred with tears.
“A dog? You’re a wanted man, accused of treason, and you brought a dog into this?” She shook her head. “Is that fair to the dog?”
"He's the one steps away, right?" she said. "He knows this is dangerous turf-for both of you. He won't make his move until he knows he can win it all."
"But what if that never happens?" Raisa said.
"He won't settle," Cat said. "He'll wait forever if need be."
That's what you do when you love someone-you notice and notice and notice.
...He paused for a heartbeat, then added, "Though avoiding Nightwalker seems like a good idea to me."
"It's a match my father favors," Raisa said.
"Then your father is wrong," Han said. "Nightwalker thinks the world sprouted from his bunghole."
Raisa dismissed this image with some difficulty.
"Haven't you heard about me?" he [Han] said, with a tight smile. "I'm really a very dangerous person." And he did look dangerous until he said, "Look, could you watch Dog for me while I'm gone?"
Would she be required to sacrifice everything-every single person she cared about for this bloody throne?
Apparently so.
He reached over and closed his hands over hers, the first time he'd dare touch her. He looked into her eyes. "This may sound arrogant, and I'm sorry if it does, but you're so alone, Raisa, and so am I. Didn't you ever wish you could have a...a partner? A friend? Somebody you could say anything to-where you didn't have to pick and choose words like a merchant at a market? Someone who wants you for yourself?"
He closed his eyes, breathed in, opened his eyes again as if to assure himself she was still there. "I want to breathe you in for the rest of my life."
Would she be required to sacrifice everything-every single person she cared about for this bloody throne?
Apparently so.
"Everything's a risk."
As if in answer to her prayers, someone swarmed across the ceiling of the cathedral, swinging from one fixture to another, finding handholds where none existed. He dangled over their heads, arrows pinging all around him, then dropped to the floor.
"I want to breathe you in for the rest of my life."
Sometimes a dream is enough.
So many questions, so many stories that needed telling. A story of their own they needed to write. One with a happy ending.
Didn’t you ever wish you could have a… a partner? A friend? Somebody you could say anything to - where you didn’t have to pick and choose words like a merchant at market? Someone who wants you for yourself?
Sometimes a dream is enough.