Lindsay Buroker Quotes

Friendship is as selfish as any other relationship, perhaps more so because it masquerades as something noble. I am more comfortable with those who approach me with blades drawn.

Sicarius padded toward the exit, his soft black boots silent on the tile floor. He paused in the doorway and glanced at the backs of the two older men.
The emperor emitted a nervous chuckle. "You trained him too well, Hollow. The man bothers me."
"He is loyal."
"I know. You did a good job. I ought to give you Sespian to work with. The boy is disappointing."
"He does seem soft," Hollowcrest said.
"Did you hear that scream? I would've been fascinated by severed heads at that age."
"You're fascinated with them now, Sire."
"True enough."
They shared a laugh and headed for the door. Sicarius slipped away before they noticed him.

Before noon, they would be back in the city, the night's events like a dream. No, she though, too real for that. A memory.

We care about you."

Books snorted. "You, I believe do. The others, less so."

"Maldynado would be bored if he didn't have you to trade insults with."

"I see. And Sicarius?"

"Ah, he believes you're progressing with your training."

"And that's equivalent to caring about me?" Books asked.

"Most people he ignores. Or kills."

"True.

What positions are kings supposed to put themselves in?"
"Padded rooms without windows or pointy objects, if my staff had its druthers."
"No pointy objects at all?" Kaika quirked an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound like much fun.

An explanation." Sicarius regarded her intently. "Clarify the situation with the emperor. I could not understand the incoherent jumble you spit out before falling unconscious.

One probably should not form opinions about people based on the cleanliness of their workspace, but she promptly liked this Telnola more than Ms. Klume. Of

Asking someone to help you commit a crime and then leaving him alive to point you out to the enforcers is foolish.

A soft knock sounded. Amaranthe feared Sicarius had come to collect her for another round of training, but he didn't usually bother knocking. Or being constrained by door locks.

Sicarius, as usual, regarded her with the blandness of a particularly featureless rock, then walked away.

I wouldn't go for a swim without consulting you first. But, given your past history working for Hollowcrest and skulking around dark places, I wonder if you have any insight into these tunnels."
"Skulking?"
"Yes, is that not what assassins call it?"
"We call it working.

Follow, Sicarius said, letting an icy tone creep into his voice. He wondered if Amaranthe knew how much of his respect for her came from her ability to harness these lunkheads to a cart and get them all moving in the same direction. Basilard was the only one who might have lasted more than three days as a recruit in the army.

A normal man would be more solicitous if he got a pretty young woman in a private cabin with him.

Only Sicarius would bring all his weapons to the smooching corner of the Imperial Gardens.

That wasn't a fall. It was a premature release,

If trailing along with me is boring you," she said, "you could go check on Books and Maldynado in the real estate office."
He did not speak at first, and she thought he might be considering it, but then he said, "My presence unnerves Books."
"Your presence unnerves everyone."
Amaranthe grinned over her shoulder to soften the comment. "Not you," Sicarius said.
"No, but I'm told my sanity is questionable." She wriggled her eyebrows at him.

Waiting for the right people isn't going to get us where we want; we need to go out and find ... " She groped for the right word. A mission? A project? A job?
"Trouble?" Sicarius suggested.
"An endeavor that will help the city and prove to the emperor that we're undeserving of the bounties on our heads and we're invaluable resources to his regime."
"Trouble," Sicarius said.

You can only fight one man at a time with a sword, but, with a pen, you can compose a lecture to bore legions of enemy troops to death.

Sicarius," Amaranthe said quietly.
He bent low, eyes toward her face.
With the men laughing and talking up front, and the lorry clacking and chugging as the stack billowed black smoke into the air, this was scarcely a romantic spot. But maybe it did not matter. His response would not likely be to wrap her in his arms and kiss her. Whatever response he gave - if he gave one at all - she anticipated it would sting.
"I ... uhm ... " Amaranthe forced herself to meet his gaze. "I love you."
A long moment passed. She did not remember breathing.
Sicarius nodded infinitesimally. "I know.

He bent" title="Lindsay Buroker Quotes: Sicarius," Amaranthe said quietly.
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Who sent you?" Sicarius asked.
Amaranthe considered carefully before answering. If he simply meant to scare her into providing information, he could have started with a knife against her throat. No, he had almost broken her neck. He had intended to kill her but stopped mid-motion. Why? And would he continue where he had left off if she answered incorrectly?
"Commander of the Armies Hollowcrest."
Given the previous demonstration of how he could see through lies, the truth seemed a safer choice. Besides, she found herself reluctant to die to protect Hollowcrest's anonymity.
"Why?"
"To kill you."
"That I gathered. Why did he send you? What did you do to anger him?"
"I ... Uhm, what?"
"It was a suicide mission. You must have suspected.

His hair stuck up more than usual, but he was otherwise neat in his typical black. If they lived through the mission, she decided to buy him an obnoxiously cheerful shirt. Something in sunflower yellow, perhaps.

In his first week on the throne, he vowed to make peace with all the nations we've ever warred with, cut military spending in half, funnel the money to education, and ... oh, yes, and phase out the empire itself, instating some ridiculous people's republic with elected officials.

That this works, a woman leading five men, is a marvel.

Sicarius had the personality of a particularly bland, pointy stick.

Like most of the others, she'd been wearing the same clothing for a week - in her case, a long-sleeved wool shirt and sturdy green trousers with numerous pockets - but, unlike the others, her garb appeared clean and freshly ironed. Even Maldynado rarely looked so crisp - apparently his love of fashion didn't extend to a love of doing laundry.

Er, she hated it when she was trying to be morally superior and someone pointed out that her idea was only slightly less sketchy.

Yes," Sicarius said. "We must act alone. And soon. You may be dead by morning."
"Have I mentioned how endearing your bluntness is?

You said nothing to me of the newspaper clippings."
"No, because you were displaying ... snippiness yesterday."
"Snippiness?" he asked.
"It's a word."
"I think not."
"I'll ask Books when we get back.

Oh, they'll be punished." Amaranthe smiled and pointed at the heretofore silent Sicarius.
"Pa here, he's the farm dis-ci-pli-nar-i-an. He was a soldier and he knows how to lay into a man an' make him wish he'd never thunk of running off. Ain't that right, Pa?" She smiled up at Sicarius.
"Yes," he said flatly. "Ma.

Everyone's broken in some way or another. If they aren't, they haven't led very interesting lives

Then I guess Sicarius will have to follow you around all night, hovering over your shoulder while you eat. Breathing down your neck. Sharing your salad. Hogging your croutons.

You're an awful conversationalist," Amaranthe said. "How is it possible I prefer spending time with you?"
"Most people don't want to talk to assassins."
"I'm a unique individual."
"Yes," he said, deadpan.
"I'm never quite sure if you're complimenting me ... or not."
His eyes glinted as they passed a streetlamp. "Good.

licks donkey crotch,

You were married; don't you know how this is supposed to go? The woman doesn't want you to argue or try to solve the problem with logic. The woman wants you to commiserate with her. You don't have to fix anything. Just stand there and nod and say 'uh huh' and 'I understand.' That's all you're supposed to do.

Captain, your fecal aroma is disturbing our meditation." "I

It's not my fault," Maldynado said. Amaranthe joined them. "I didn't say it was." "No, but women like to blame things on me, so I figured I'd announce my innocence preemptively." "What type of things?" Books asked. "Their unwanted pregnancies?" "Of course not. To bear my offspring would be an honor. They know that.

Utter foolery shouldn't be delegated

He studied her, as if she were some exotic specimen of fish he'd pulled up from the lake depths and he was deciding whether to keep her or throw her back.

Someone's coming," Sicarius said. "They heard we have raccoon vomit for breakfast," Akstyr muttered.

Thugly the Tormentor of Young Pilots.

I think ... we all have the seeds of self-destruction in our soul, but each of us gets to choose whether or not to water them.

Basilard, can you cover our trail?
Basilard rubbed his head dubiously. Maldynado, Books, and Akstyr leave trail like marching army.

Trust me, I never underestimate my charm or any of my other magnificent attributes. They work great on women. Alas, men tend to see me as an unwelcome rival. You, he might listen to. You're good at talking people into things."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because I'm perched in the rafters of a cannery, at risk from a man-slaying magical creature, and spending time with a drunk, a gangster, and an assassin at ... what time is it?

You're not - " "Fast enough? Strong enough? Agile enough?" She did not necessarily disagree, but she wanted him to have faith she could do this. "Expendable," Sicarius said.

Colonel Ridge Zirkander had walked the hall to General Ort's office so many times he suspected his boots were responsible for the threadbare state of the drab gray carpet runner. The two privates standing guard on either side of the door were too well trained to exchange knowing smirks,

Why, Sicarius, is it possible you have a playful side beneath your razor-edged knives, severe black clothing and humourless glares?

My father used to say some families are made by shared blood and some families are made by spilled blood

Decision's made?" Sicarius called over the pumping pistons of the engine. "They're closing on us quickly."
"My grandmother on a bicycle could close on us quickly," Maldynado said. "This slag heap was probably the first model ever made.

Sicarius stood behind them, not bothering to hide his face as the breeze rifled through his short blond hair. He hadn't drawn a weapon yet, and Amaranthe hurried to catch up, to keep him from doing so.
First one security man glanced over his shoulder and jumped, then the second emulated the move.
Sespian lifted a hand. "Don't hurt - "One of the men pointed to the side of Sicarius, cried, "Look, enforcers!" and hurled himself past Sespian and into the river. The second man squeaked, scuttled backward until his shoulders rammed against the railing, then grabbed it and also propelled himself into the water. His lantern caught and dropped to the deck instead of falling overboard. It clanked and highlighted a dubious puddle before tipping over and winking out. Amaranthe had forgotten how much Sicarius's reputation affected the average person.

Sicarius, are you ready for a hike?"
She faced him only to find he had armed himself - more so than usual. In addition to his daggers and throwing knives, he held two rifles, two pistols, two cargo belts laden with ammo pouches, and a bag of his smoke grenades.
"Or a single-handed all-out assault on the forest?

Amaranthe decided not to explain that it hadn't been a guess, that Sicarius reserved his ultra icy glare for those who threatened him, those who spoke disrespectfully about his son, and those who dared invite Amaranthe to picnic dinners in the park.

Consider ourselves fortunate."
Maldynado's jaw slackened. "How so?"
"Amaranthe's birthday is next week and, with our limited funds, I didn't think I'd be able to find her a gift."
"So, you're getting her ... dead bodies?"
"Perfect, don't you think?" Books smiled.
"Most women like jewelry and flowers."
"Do you honestly believe she would prefer jewelry over a mystery to solve?"
Maldynado jiggled the key fob thoughtfully, then nodded toward the bodies. "Can we say one is from me?

Maldynado's jaw slackened." title="Lindsay Buroker Quotes: Consider ourselves fortunate."
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An equally shaggy tuft of hair dangled from his chin, the classification somewhere between beard, goatee, and flower gone to seed.

Well, I'm freezing. Either one of us is going to have to check or we'll have to start cuddling."
Sicarius climbed the ladder.
"There's something wrong with a man who chooses to face death over cuddling with a woman.

Of course, it'll be up to you to convince Ridgecrest that Sespian is the candidate he wants to side with," Amaranthe said.
"Me," Sicarius stated at the same time as Maldynado asked, "Him?"
"You three. As a group."
"That'll be a unique conversation," Yara said.

That doesn't mean they're not still angling for something. The most charitable people in the world are choosing altruism, not because it's a noble endeavor, but because being noble fulfills a need within them.

The mental sciences? A strange synonym for magic.

Women like to make up rules to befuddle you ... it's part of living in their world. Get used to it.

My husband," Amaranthe said.
"Really! I would have guessed bodyguard."
Yes, even without visible weapons, he had that aura.

"Really!" title="Lindsay Buroker Quotes: My husband," Amaranthe said.
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Nobody wants to be interrogated in his brothel suit

That came out of one of the men's pockets, didn't it?" "Bald and Stubby, yeah." "Nice of you to create such respectful names for the corpses,

You're inviting us to the rooftop populated with the people the gangs are after?" Deret hollered.
"Given that we're planning ways to collapse your rooftop onto the makarovi milling in the factory, we thought you'd find it a more appealing perch.

Sicarius wore his usual guess-my-thoughts-if-you-can-mask, though she sensed he did not approve.

In every crisis lies opportunity.

She let Sicarius lead since he had that knack for getting people to move out of his way without doing anything. Amaranthe, on the other hand, received elbows in the ribs or suggestive jostles from drunken men. Maybe she should try wearing all black and glaring more often.

Amaranthe cleared her throat. Enough girl talk. There are enemy cabins full of dastardly old ladiesthat we must infiltrate.

Enough girl talk. There are enemy cabins full of dastardly old ladies that we must infiltrate." "Unbelievable," Evrial murmured. "What is?" "That you can say things like that and still get those men to rally behind you." "Sometimes I also have to gaze into their eyes with youthful exuberance that they find impossible to resist." Evrial could imagine

I didn't faint, I passed out in a manly way," Sespian muttered.

It's probably unwise to clean the house you're illegally trespassing in, assuming you don't want the person to know you were there." "I've heard that." Amaranthe clasped her hands behind her back. "Though, if people invaded my home, I'd view the intrusion with less animosity if they dusted while they were there.

A realization came to Books in that moment, one that shook his beliefs even more than when he had learned magic existed: Sicarius cared.

Sitting in the shadows, with a killer, in an empty building, gazing at the corpse of another killer. When had her life grown so strange?

A hint of annoyance hardened Sicarius's dark eyes, and Books imagined him thinking, I can't leave for five minutes without you getting into trouble ...

Somehow she could not see Sicarius cuddling to share body heat. He would probably suggest pushups to stay warm.

Don't question luck," Amaranthe muttered. "It might get offended by your lack of appreciation and leave you behind.

The definition of a hero changes depending on the needs of the person with the dictionary. And of late I've become more aware how much being a hero to the empire means being a war criminal to the rest of the world.

Here's the plan: I'll go in and palaver while you surround them."
"Surround them," he said. "By myself.

Though a rational part of her mind said they needed her and would not seriously damage her, pain and terror pumped uncertainty through her heart.

He was a cyborg. Oh, he looked fully human, with icy blue eyes, a strong jaw in need of shaving, and black hair even more in need of cutting, but humans didn't jump thirty feet from the top of a spaceship, land on their feet next to a person, and proceed to attack so quickly that an Alliance officer with combat training didn't have time to react.

Sure, you want me to be able to heal you if wolves attack again, right?"
"Won't you find that hard to do if you're here, and I'm five miles up the trail, bleeding to death?

Why, I'm going to infiltrate Forge, of course. Amaranthe smiled and waited for a response. It seemed she hadn't lost her knack for stunning groups of men when announcing her schemes.

What is it, you ask?" Kali said, trying to cover her surprise with nonchalant words. "I haven't thought of a name yet. Got any ideas?"
"Shit," the pirate said, said of. The gag made elocution difficult.
"That wouldn't impress anyone at the patent office.

You better not be dead. This team is already overflowing with ankle spankers. I was looking forward to having more women around."
Yara's eyelids fluttered open. She blinked a few times, focused on him, and frowned.
"Ankle spanker? The only thing you've got that'll reach that far is your ego.

A pale blob appeared on the other side of the glass. Evrial yelped and jumped backward faster than a dog bit by a snake. Her calf caught on the edge of the bed, and she tumbled onto it.
"Good timing," Amaranthe said.
"What?" Bewildered, Evrial stared at the porthole. Only on the second long look did she recognize the pale blob. It was Sicarius's face - upside down. Amaranthe pointed to the porthole frame and mouthed something. Sicarius's head rose out of sight. Evrial rolled off the bed, embarrassed by her startled - and ungraceful - stumble.
"I hope you don't mind," Amaranthe said, "but I'll have to let Maldynado know."
"What?""
That you are capable of shrieking.

Victory!? There is no victory in war! War takes everything and gives nothing! I only wish my words were as destructive as you would have me believe!