“I want you to stay. I want you to … I want you.” “You want me.” She turned the words over. Gently, she squeezed his hand. “And how will you have me, Kaz?” He looked at her then, eyes fierce, mouth set. It was the face he wore when he was fighting. “How will you have me?” she repeated. “Fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch?”<...>“I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”
― Six of Crows
― Six of Crows
“Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?"
"So?" said Kaz.
"Well, usually it's just half the city.”
― Crooked Kingdom
"So?" said Kaz.
"Well, usually it's just half the city.”
― Crooked Kingdom
“Cautiously, she let her knuckles brush against his, a slight weight, a bird's feather. He stiffened, but he didn't pull away.
"I'm not ready to give up on this city, Kaz. I think it's worth saving." I think you're worth saving.
Once they stood on the deck of a ship and she'd waited just like this. He had no spoken then and he did not speak now. Inej felt him slipping away, dragging under, caught in an undertow that would take him farther and farther from shore. She understood suffering and she knew it was a place she could not follow, not unless she wanted to drown, too.
Back on Black Veil, he'd told her that they would fight their way out. Knives drawn, guns blazing. Because that's what we do. She would fight for him, but she could not heal him. She would not waste her life trying.
She felt his knuckles slide against hers. Then his hand was in her hand, his palm was pressed against her own. A tremor moved through him. Slowly, he let their fingers entwine.
For a long while, they stood there, hands clasped, looking out at the gray expanse of sea.”
― Crooked Kingdom
"I'm not ready to give up on this city, Kaz. I think it's worth saving." I think you're worth saving.
Once they stood on the deck of a ship and she'd waited just like this. He had no spoken then and he did not speak now. Inej felt him slipping away, dragging under, caught in an undertow that would take him farther and farther from shore. She understood suffering and she knew it was a place she could not follow, not unless she wanted to drown, too.
Back on Black Veil, he'd told her that they would fight their way out. Knives drawn, guns blazing. Because that's what we do. She would fight for him, but she could not heal him. She would not waste her life trying.
She felt his knuckles slide against hers. Then his hand was in her hand, his palm was pressed against her own. A tremor moved through him. Slowly, he let their fingers entwine.
For a long while, they stood there, hands clasped, looking out at the gray expanse of sea.”
― Crooked Kingdom
“She smiled then, her eyes red, her cheeks scattered with some kind of dust. It was a smile he thought he might die to earn again.”
― Crooked Kingdom
― Crooked Kingdom
“What is this?" she asked, her eyes scanning the page. "It's not..." She ran her fingertips over the words as if expecting them to vanish. "My contract." She whispered.
"I don't want you beholden to Per Haskell. Or me." Another half-truth. His mind had concocted a hundred schemes to bind her to him, to keep her in this city. But she'd spent enough of her life caged by debts and obligations, and it would be better for them both when she was gone.
"How?" she said. "The money-"
"It's done." He'd liquidated every asset he had, used the last of the savings he'd accrued, every ill-gotten cent.
She pressed the envelope to her chest, above her heart. "I have no words to thank you for this."
"Surely the Suli have a thousand words for such an occasion?"
"Words have not been invented for such an occasion."
"If I end up on the gallows, you can say something nice over the corpse," he said.”
― Crooked Kingdom
"I don't want you beholden to Per Haskell. Or me." Another half-truth. His mind had concocted a hundred schemes to bind her to him, to keep her in this city. But she'd spent enough of her life caged by debts and obligations, and it would be better for them both when she was gone.
"How?" she said. "The money-"
"It's done." He'd liquidated every asset he had, used the last of the savings he'd accrued, every ill-gotten cent.
She pressed the envelope to her chest, above her heart. "I have no words to thank you for this."
"Surely the Suli have a thousand words for such an occasion?"
"Words have not been invented for such an occasion."
"If I end up on the gallows, you can say something nice over the corpse," he said.”
― Crooked Kingdom
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