Keri Lake

I’m not the pretty delicate thing who flirts and minds her manners. I’m a crude thief, a former street kid, one who does what she has to in order to survive.

“Of course. But do not be fooled by stories of the afterlife, child. One way, or another, we all burn for our sins. Dominus vigilans.”

“Dominus vigilans. What does that mean?” I’d studied enough Latin to know it’s literal translation, but not its significance in the conversation.

“It means, watch yourself, for you are watched.”

“My point is that beneath the earth lies the roots, dirt and worms, where everything decays in order to feed the beauty you find so perfect. In order for something to live, something must rot.”

“Strong women will always bear the dangerous burden of a weaker man’s pride.”

“You cry mercy. Yet, even then it will not make a difference. For no one pities the unloved.”

You will be my mercy.

“Everything about you taunts me, Lustina. Your eyes beckon me to stare. Your scent beckons me to breathe. Your skin beckons me to touch.”

The Baron and Witch’s Daughter

“The heart is frivolous, at best.”

“What makes you long for worlds which don’t exist?” he asked, thumbing through a few of its pages.

“Escape. Sometimes, life can be overwhelming. How about you?”

“I read to gain knowledge, not distraction.”

“I’ve found well-placed distraction can be cathartic. It allows me to focus when I need to. The mind yearns for magic over practicality, sometimes.”