Bite my tongue bite my time Wearing a warning sign Wait till the world is mine Visions I vandalize, cold in my kingdom size Fell for these ocean eyes [x]
He gave a rueful laugh, turning the pick over in his hands. “Wanden olstrum end kendesorum.” It
was the first part of a Fjerdan saying, The water hears and
understands. It sounded kind enough, but Matthias knew that Nina would
be familiar with the rest of it. “Isen ne bejstrum,” she finished. The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive.
lit meme | 4/10 books or series: six of crows duology by leigh bardugo
“No mourners, no funerals. Another way of saying good luck. But it was something more. A dark wink to the fact that there would be no expensive burials for people like them, no marble markers to remember their names, no wreaths of myrtle and rose.”
Nina was curled up next to Matthias on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder, her feet tucked beneath her, fingers stained with strawberry juice. He felt strange sitting this way, in Fjerda, even a husband and his wife showed little affection in public. They held hands and might dance at a public ball. But he liked it, and though he could not quite relax, he couldn’t bear the thought of her moving away from him.
She took a shaky breath. The words came like a string of gunshots, rapid-fire, as if she resented the very act of speaking them. “I didn’t know if you would come.”
Kaz couldn’t blame Van Eck for that. Kaz had built that doubt in her with every cold word and small cruelty. “We’re your crew, Inej. We don’t leave our own at the mercy of merch scum.”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted to give. It wasn’t the answer she wanted.
He thought of Inej asking, Was there no one to protect you? He remembered Jordie seated beside him on a bridge, smiling and alive, the reflection of their feet in the water beneath them, the warmth of a cup of hot chocolate cradled in his mittened hands. We were supposed to look out for each other.
They’d been two farm boys, missing their father, lost in this city. That was how Pekka got them.
“how’s my land?” she’d ask every day when his father returned from the fields, and later jesper would learn that the farm had been in her name, a wedding gift from his father, who had courted aditi hilli for nearly a year before she’d deigned to give him the time of day.
“blooming,” he’d say, kissing her cheek. “just like you, love.”
- leigh bardugo
Oh! This makes me so happy. And… wondering if you guys picked up the little echo in Colm’s line? One of those things I really enjoyed building into Colm and Jesper’s speech patterns.
Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. “Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.”
Brekker’s lips quirked. “I’ll just hire Matthias’ ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.”
“My ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.
“I am grateful you’re alive,” he said. “I am grateful you’re beside me. I am grateful that you’re eating .” She rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re better than waffles, Matthias Helvar.” A small smile curled the Fjerdan’s lips. “Let’s not say things we don’t mean, my love.”
Inej x Kaz
“Come with me,” she said. “Come meet them.” Kaz nodded as if steeling himself, flexed his fingers once more. “Wait,” he said. The burn of his voice was rougher than usual. “Is my tie straight?” Inej laughed, her hood falling back from her hair. “That’s the laugh,” he murmured, but she was already setting off down the quay, her feet barely touching the ground.
Wylan x Jesper
Jesper leaned in and said, quietly enough that no one else could hear, “I can read to him.” “He has a very soothing baritone,” added Wylan, and then the guards were hauling his father down the aisle.
