Stephen Deas > Quotes

“Try again. No no no, eyes up, eyes up! When you bow to someone you look at them, not at the floor. Don't look at her in the eye though lad, that's rude. And not THERE, either.”
― Stephen Deas, The Thief-Taker's Apprentice

“They'd tried, him and Snow. They'd tried and they'd failed, and that felt so much better than not having tried at all.”
― Stephen Deas, The Adamantine Palace

“He stared out across the lake. And suddenly he felt the fire and iron of her presence, a moment before the water began to churn.
Little One Kemir, I am hungry.”
― Stephen Deas, The Adamantine Palace

“The first arrow struck Semian in the leg, just above the knee. Semian howled, staggered and fell back into the water. The second arrow struck one of the other riders in the back. The third arrow hit the wounded dragon in the neck, which only made it hiss and snap. Kemir didn't stop to fire a fourth; instead he jogged a little deeper into the forest and then turned and followed the path of the river. The knights wouldn't follow him into the trees, he was quite sure of that, and the dragons would never find him in the dark. Not killing Rider Semian, he discovered, was immensely satisfying. Killing him was something he could do only once. He smiled to himself.”
― Stephen Deas, The Adamantine Palace

“He woke up frozen stiff. A cold dawn was lighting up the peaks on the other side of the valley, making them shine like giant lanterns. Above, through the broken bones of the roof, he could see the sky, clear now, a deep violet blue, waiting for the sun to breach the mountaintops. The snow clouds had gone, off to bother someone else. Where he lay was still dark, wrapped in leftover shadows. The wall, so deliciously warm when he'd fallen asleep, was like ice, sucking the heat out of him, but what had woken him were screams. Long piercing screams, over and over.”
― Stephen Deas, The Order of the Scales