Chained

“Because as long as people are preoccupied with their own suffering, they won’t find the strength to rise up. They’re too worried about making it through next week to concern themselves with next year.”

“I’m beginning to think they—we—are all pawns in a far bigger game.”

“The truth lies in the darkness. The Obsidian Sky must be revealed—and the seasons must change. You must be the one to make it happen. I’m sorry, Soleia. It falls to you now.”

“Sylvan is not a killer so much as an overlord. He has worked hard to make those who reside in the Depths forget the wrongs of the past—and of the present. But even if I wished to forget, I would feel obligated to retain my knowledge of the days long gone. I am here in this room for one purpose only, and that is to ensure the present and future are salvaged. I am here to see that the Lightbringer is brought to heel at long last.”

“Because you have been wounded—and like many of us, you have scars. They make us who we are. They’re nothing more than roadmaps to our souls—and the map that unfolds in you is one that I revel in. You’re perfect—and the best thing about you is that you don’t know it, so there’s no arrogance in your soul. Only truth.”

“I know you care about her. I know you love Sebastian. You need to understand none of that matters to me—it’s never mattered. I don’t love Seb. I was willing to live in the North with him, despite the fact that I don’t much care for children—all to keep an eye on the Obsidian Sky. But I always suspected there was a secret behind Aimée—after all, a man like Seb doesn’t magically acquire a dark-haired child who happens to look a lot like his missing sister. But now, I know what Aimée is. I know how much she matters. I care about this land and its people—and for all of our sakes, we need Aimée alive and strong.”

“Perhaps one day, you’ll understand why I spend almost every second fantasizing about being inside you.”

“I’m bound to you, heart, soul, and mind. Nothing and no one will change that. Look inside yourself. Trust yourself as I do—and as Shara does.”

“In another way entirely, I am bound to Aimée. I knew it when she was born. I felt it the first time I had her in my care—and at first, I thought it was a punishment. My sister was so far gone and I hadn’t managed to bring her back, for all my efforts. The more I mourned Carys, the more my niece came to mean to me. Every bit of love I still had in this world was, for a time, reserved for that girl. I will never claim to be her father, but I will protect her as a father does. I can feel her pain, her fear. And I can tell you, Sunshine, that she is safe for now. We have a little time, at least. Whatever they want to use her for, it’s not happening just yet.”

“Do not make me say how it would pain me. I don’t like to admit how fragile you’ve made me. How brittle my heart is every time you walk away—and how much I’ve ached these last few days, worrying that you were hurt, or worse. I couldn’t feel our bond, and it nearly broke me. No one has ever robbed me of my soul until you.”

“For years now, we’ve lived in a state of precarious balance—those who reside on the surface and those in the Depths were separate and blissfully oblivious. All was as it should be. But you, Soleia, and that mate of yours—you fucked it up for all of us. You have no idea what you’ve done. It’s your fault she’s here. Your fault.”

“I suspect you know exactly what I think of any orders issued by the High Commander. I would let me do exactly as I wish in my own damned home, if I were you. Draw that blade, and I will see to it that it finds a permanent home in your fucking neck.”

“Do not let the truth vanquish your minds. It will not be pleasant—but you have no choice now but to learn it. More depends on you both than you know, and you will soon be tested. I am sorry for what you will endure.”

“She is my mate. She is here as a guest, and you will show her respect.”

“I do wish you and I could have lived the lives we deserved outside of our prisons. I wish we could have grown up together, as sisters should. Aimée is lucky to have someone like you in her life. Someone who chooses to be her family out of love instead of obligation. If you end up being her savior, then so be it.”

“This land is ruled by bullshit and treachery—by greedy, vengeful little men. Then again, what land isn’t? Nearly every government is its own kind of smokescreen, and behind its leadership often lies something far worse than anyone can possibly imagine.”

“I’m definitely saying I don’t want some horny ancient weirdo trying to get me pregnant, in case that’s not obvious. On top of everything else wrong with it, I love Bastian.”

“Sylvan told me once that he chose this symbol because I am cold as the surface of the Peaks. He claimed it was the thing he enjoyed most about me—that I was not easy to win over. The irony is that I fell in love with him the first second I saw him. I just hid it well. To this day, there is nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for that man. I would kill for him—and I intend to prove it before too many days have passed.”

“Power is frightening, and for years, my sister has been a vessel for it. But it’s also addictive—which is likely one reason the people of Lumis adore Sylvan. For the time being, though, you and I should figure out exactly where Aimée is. We’ll find her and bring her to the surface. If Carys wants to join us there, so be it. But my niece is not safe here—I’m as sure of it as I’ve ever been of anything.”

“Remember our bond. What I feel, you feel. Remember that whenever you have doubts. You are my blood and my heart. You are everything to me. But I’m beginning to think Aimée is everything to this land, and we cannot leave her to the wolves. Find her. Protect her. I don’t know what her purpose is yet—but I do know it’s greater than either of us. We need to learn who has taken her and why. Then, we’ll make our move.”

“I’ve never been able to rely on anyone, Bastian. It’s hard for me to grasp the concept of trust. I loved my father more than anyone in the world, and he sent me away. The Hursts…they were awful, but you know that. You met Oliver. I have always been a thing that people discarded or abused. I’m not sure how to become a thing the most beautiful man in the world loves.”

“Fuck. Me. You are the most addictive substance known to man. Or woman. Or any other living thing. If you ever leave me again, Sunshine, I think I will perish.”

“Whatever may come, you and I will face it together.

“Without joy, the world ends. Without love—without a reason to be—the world is worthless. You are my reason, and right now, I fucking want you. Our bond makes us stronger—and our strength will help to heal this land.”

“For years, I thought I knew everything the High Council was up to. Doling out just enough currency to the Peaks’ citizens. Keeping the people fed—just barely. Enriching a precious few while impoverishing many. But from what you’ve told me about the city under the mountain, the true power in the Peaks may well lie in the hands of people we’ve never even considered—people hidden in the darkest places.”

“Look, Soleia—Bastian wants me to find my daughter, but that’s not the only reason he let me go. The truth is, he also wanted me to hunt for you. He wasn’t exactly pleased that you’d left him behind without so much as a word of good-bye.”

“You are the light that has finally convinced my heart that I am worthy of love. I still love my sister. I love Aimée. But until you came along, I never felt worthy of either of them. Even when Carys was turned by Saint—when she became a monster who wished me dead above all other things—I told myself I deserved it. That she hated me because I was terrible. But you wandered into my life, and the first second I looked into those green eyes of yours, I felt layers of self-loathing peel away from my soul—because I saw in you a person who might one day love me.”

“Fuck me like it’s the end of the world. As if we’re the last people alive.”