#yelena

Valek leaned back in his chair and said to me, “I don’t think I would have made it past the audition,Yelena. I probably would have set my hair on fire by this point.” “What’s a singed head for the sake of art?” I teased. He laughed. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#yelena #art

A little present from my run-in with a sword. Or should I say from when the sword had a run-in with me?” His eyes lit up. “Want to see the scar? It’s cool.” He started pulling his shirt out of his pants. “Janco,” Ari warned. “We’re not supposed to be fraternizing with the Sitians.” “But she’s not Sitian. Right, Yelena? You haven’t gone south on us, have you?” Janco’s voice held mock horror. “Because if you have I can’t give you your present.” I took my switchblade out, showing the inscription to Janco. “What about ‘Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever’? Does that change if I become an official southerner?” Janco rubbed the hair on his chin, considering. “No,” Ari said. “You could change into a goat and it would still apply. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#janco #yelena #change

When you warned me that you would test me from time to time, I thought you meant spiking my food. But it seems there is more than one way to poison a person’s heart, and it doesn’t even require a meal. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#yelena #food

Run,” he whispered. “Run.” “No, Rand,” I said, brushing the dirt from his face. “I’m tired of running.” “Forgive me, please.” He clutched my hand as his eyes beseeched me through tears of pain. “You’re forgiven.” He sighed once, then stopped breathing. The shine in his brown eyes dulled. I pulled his hood over his head. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#yelena #forgiveness

How did you—” “Fool your guards? They’re not very good. They forgot to check the ceiling for spiders.” Valek grinned. His angular face softened. Startled, I realized he wasn’t in disguise. “This is dangerous.” “I knew falling for you was dangerous, love. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#yelena #love

I shook my head at Janco. “I’ve got the situation under control. Go back to the Keep, I’ll meet you there.” Janco stared at me in astonished silence. Ari, though, trusted me. “Come on, she doesn’t need our help.” Ari sheathed his sword. Janco recovered. He flashed me one of his mischievous grins. “I’ll bet you a copper that she’ll be free in five minutes,” he said to Ari. Ari grunted in amusement. “A silver on ten minutes,” he countered. “I’ll bet you both a gold coin that she kills him,” Valek said from behind them. They moved aside and he entered, still dressed in his Adviser Ilom disguise. “The only way to take care of your problem. Right, love? ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#janco #valek #yelena #love

It's a dirty way to fight, but I'm late for lunch." - Valek to Yelena ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#fantasy #fight #humor #valek #yelena

I balled my hands into tight fists to keep them from wrapping around Mr. I-Know-Everything's superior neck. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#valek #yelena #humor

Why did Mother ask you to help me rescue Gelsi?" I asked Leif. "She thought I could assist you in some way. Instead, I had tried to-" "Kill me? You can join the 'I Want to Kill Yelena Guild.' I hear they have six members in good standing. Valek is president since he had wanted to kill me twice." --Yelena to Leif ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#leif #yelena #humor

I gave him a bored look. I had been threatened many times before and had learned that the men who didn’t make verbal threats were the most dangerous. ↗

— Maria V. Snyder

#men