Elly Blake Quotes

I ran to him, torn by conflicting urges. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make sure he was unhurt. I wanted to leave him in the dirt and run away. I wanted him to stop me from leaving.

Then why are we fighting?"

He dropped his hand and it curled into a fist. "Because you putting yourself in danger terrifies me, and yet you do it all the time."

I wished I could reach up and, with a wave of my hand, erase the fear I saw lurking in his eyes. So little scared him. It didn't seem right that I was the cause of his worst fears.

"Not all the time," I said with a little palm-open gesture. "Sometimes I'm as cautious as a baby rabbit."

"Really." He raised a brow. "Like when you set someone on fire?"

"Only people who choke me. And it was technically her hat. An ugly one. That hat needed burning."

His lips twitched. "It was a particularly grotesque hat, I'll give you that much.

And for the record, I already know how you feel about fire, so you don't have to be mad that I've witnessed one of your weaknesses. We all have them, you know.'
He turned to look at me, his face completely expressionless. I tensed, waiting for a scathing response, but he mumbled something and looked away.
I left the smithy and headed toward the kitchen to help Brother Peele with dinner preparations, still puzzling over his parting remark. I must have misheard him. It almost sounded like he'd said, I fear you are becoming one of mine.

You speak as if I'm as heavy as an ox," I said. "Last week I was a bundle of sticks.""You're still too thin.""Perhaps if I gain some weight, you won't call me a stick anymore.""You may hope to one day be a branch."I glanced at him sharply, unable to repress a little flutter of delight that he was bothering to joke with me."A log, even," I suggested."Doubtful," he said wryly.

Did Brother Thistle train you in the most effective methods of communicating with me?"
His head lifted and his lips curved. "He may have given me some advice."
"And you took it?" My brows rose.
"I'm experimenting with it. If it doesn't work, I'll go back to my tried and true method."
"By which you mean threats and orders."
His smile widened.

You don't know the effect your words have on me, Lady Firebrand. It took years to build up this ice. You will melt it and then I will be broken.

You're quite amusing when you're not lashing me with that sharp tongue. Although" -his eyes turned sultry- "I might not mind the violence of your tongue in the right circumstances

Ice no longer scared me. Its facets were beautiful, especially when it caught and held the vibrancy of flame.

Affairs between fire and frost rarely end well.

Slowly, he raised himself onto his elbows. "If I could afford to be completely selfish, I wouldn't let you go after the king. I would take you far away from this land and keep you safe.

I said I didn't believe in the prophecies. I don't believe they all come true. I believe we always have choices. Even Sage can't tell us what is going to happen. Only what might happen. And sometimes prophecies are just wrong.

Once again, all doubt, all sense of right and wrong, faded. There was only the target, his darkly beating heart, and my fire. There was no fear, no anger, no shame, no regret. Just power, surging through me, filling me. It felt as if my breath sucked the very air from the heavens, and my rage burned the sun to ash. I was everything and nothing, and no one could stop me. I was darkness wreathed in flesh.

If we all had names to suit us, you'd be called Thorn in My Backside. Or Plague of the Gods."I prickled at his scathing tone. "And you'd be Miserable Blockhead.""Is that the best you can do?""Give me time. I'm half frozen." <..> "Perhaps your name should be Icy Tyrant. No, wait. Frigid Despot.

How handsome he must have been before he was burned. Heat flared over my skin. How handsome he was now.

But history could be twisted and warped to suit the person telling it.

Face them all like a warrior, whether you are one or not.

You are a flame, Ruby, and fire can either be free or it will be smothered. The last thing I want..." His voice broke, and the sound was like a kick in my chest. "The last thing I want is to smother you.