“No fairy tale, this. This was by no stretch of the imagination a polished fantasy. This was a searing, living force, rough around the edges, unfamiliar and bittersweet. And precious.” — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“Just say, dakhilak.” Without hesitation, “Dakhilak.” He nodded. Her accent was getting no better. “Now, you can never take it back.” “Well, what does… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“She was a little thing, too, inciting that basic compulsion in him as a man to protect her in so hectic a place as… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“What she knew was sand and wind and innumerable stars. The rumble in a camel’s throat as it swayed over shifting dunes, its trappings… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“He squinted at her. He recalled the tears in her eyes that had not fallen into her teacup. No, it wasn’t a revelation. Not… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“He felt, rather than saw, her chin lift toward him. But instead of pulling her hand from his grip and turning away, she tightened… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“Somehow, I did not finger you for a treasure-hunter.” “Oh, but I am,” without shame. “Her name is Titianni Aziz.” — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“La mu’axsa, but I think I’ll just keep sliding down this greased pole to hell?” — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“There will always be another war, Gillia.” He allowed his cynicism to seep through. “Do you know why? Because there will always be bigots… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“It came as naturally to him as breathing or lying, or worse. His mama had only taught her son to be cautious at all… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“She wondered how a man could look into a woman’s eyes and lie so completely, so convincingly. She wondered how he could have looked… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“When silence greeted her question, she looked at Caine—for that was how he saw himself in that moment and in all the moments after:… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
“And what was to become of what he had taken from her? He had dashed her heart to the ground and danced on it… — V.S. Carnes Copy Share Image
