I wanted to find a way to share it with him, show him there was more in the world than blood and shadow.

I have never endeavoured to be human, a fact Daniel had difficulty accepting at first. However, he never looked down on me for it. And he made his mistakes. But ultimately he loved me – for who I am, for what I am. He loved me, not some version of me that will never exist. And for that I am grateful. It is a mark of true humanity.

For the first time, I understood the difference between leaving and not staying. It was the difference between a snarl and a smile.

Love is a wound,” the assassin said. ” Neither life nor death.

There are three ways of bettering yourself in the Pirates’ Confederation, Mama told me once: murder, mutiny, and marriage.

You don’t realize how much you miss something till it comes back to you, and then you wonder how you went so long without it.

He didn't ask - of course he didn't ask - but he did show up at the captain's quarters one evening after dinner looking sheepish.

Your enthusiasm for learning gives me hope for the future," he said. "We can start right now if you'd like. You don't seem to be...working

He smelled like magic and sweat and the sea, but there was something else beneath all that, something sweet and warm like honey, and just for a moment I didn't feel afraid anymore.

Manticores with love spells," Marjani said. "Well, that's awfully terrifying.