Hawk's Angel

“The big man glanced at the princess in chains for permission, hefting his axe suggestively. Jael expected her to nod and give him the go-ahead to serve as her executioner. Instead, she put out a hand and took the weapon from him. Her green eyes were like chips of jade in her pale, bloody countenance. This was the face of the Dread Queen.

"Kneel," she commanded, and the command had an inexorable weight.

Not only did Priest drop to his knees, so did the other men in the vicinity; two belonged to Silence. The Speaker frowned at this.

In a single swing, she took her enemy's head. The crowd roared.

And Jael fell a little in love.”
― Ann Aguirre, Perdition

“There is a small monster in my brain that controls my doubt. The doubt itself is a stupid thing, without sense or feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster, though, is smart. It’s always watching, and when I am completely sure of myself, it unchains the doubt and lets it run wild. Even when I know it’s coming, I can’t stop it.”
― Francesca Zappia, Eliza and Her Monsters

“He cocked his head, listening, then whispered to the big man, "We've got a group of four, incoming. Don't scare them off with your stench."

Einar growled back, "I smell like angels at sunrise."

"Dead ones," a small man cracked.”
― Ann Aguirre, Perdition

“Hope is a waking dream," Jael quoted softly. "And it's the last thing to go. It torments you like a bird killing itself slowly against the glass.”
― Ann Aguirre, Perdition