V.E. Schwab

People survived by being cautious, but they got ahead by being bold.

Some thought magic came from the mind, others the soul, or the heart, or the will.

I know where you sleep, Bard." She smirked. "Then you know I sleep with knives.

It is an arrogant man that thinks himself a god.And an arrogant god, thought Tieren, looking to the window, that thinks himself a man.

«This is why I run.»Because caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in, and didn't let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than a few broken ribs, more than anything that bled or broke and healed again. Caring didn't break you clean. It was a bone that didn't set, a cut that wouldn't close.It was better not to care - Lila tried not to care - but, sometimes, people got in. Like a knife against armor, they found the cracks, slid past the guard, and you didn't know how deep they were buried until they were gone and you were bleeding on the floor. And it wasn't fair.

Next time I walk away,_ she whispered into his skin, __ome with me._ She let her gaze drift up to his throat, his jaw, his lips. __hen this is all over, when Osaron is gone and we__e saved the world again, and everyone else gets their happily ever after, come with me._ __ila,_ he said, and there was so much sadness in his voice, she suddenly realized she didn__ want to hear his answer, didn__ want to think of all the ways their story could end, of the chance that none of them would make it out alive, intact. She didn__ want to think beyond this boat, this moment, so she kissed him, deeply, and whatever he was going to say, it died on his lips as they met hers.

Dammit Bard, you're going to set the cat on fire.

No,_ he muttered, running a hand through his copper hair. __o. No. There are dozens.___ell?_ she asked, moving to touch his arm.He shook her off. __ozens of ships, Lila! And you had to climb aboard his._____ sorry,_ she shot back, bristling, __ was under the impression that I was free to do as I pleased.___o be fair,_ added Alucard, __ think she was planning to steal it and slit my throat.___hen why didn__ you?_ snarled Kell, spinning on her. __ou__e always so eager to slash and stab, why couldn__ you have stabbed him?

Please tell me this is easier to take off than it was to put on.__alla raised a brow. __ou do not think Master Kell knows how?

Look, everyone talks about the unknown like it's some big scary thing, but it's the familiar that's always bothered me. It's heavy, builds up around you like rocks, until it's walls and a ceiling and a cell.

Victor was the first to speak, and when he did, it was with an eloquence and composure perfectly befitting the situation

Caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in, and didn__ let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than a few broken ribs, more than anything that bled or broke and healed again. Caring didn__ break you clean. It was a bone that didn__ set, a cut that wouldn__ close.

It was better not to care but sometimes, people got in. Like a knife against armor, they found the cracks, slid past the guard, and you didn__ know how deep they were buried until they were gone and you were bleeding on the floor.

Ah, there you are, Bard,_ came a familiar voice, and she turned to see Alucard striding over.__aints, is that a dress you__e in? The crew will never believe it.___ou__e got to be kidding me,_ growled Kell.

You don't understand," gasped Eli. "No one understands.""When no one understands, that's usually a good sign that you're wrong.

For the ones who dream of stranger worlds.

A queen could leave her t

But these words people threw around - humans, monsters, heroes, villains - to Victor it was all just a matter of semantics. Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.