Cyrus And Alizeh Quotes

He wanted to make her laugh. He wanted to hold her hand. He wanted to bring her tea and walk with her through the seasons. He wanted to watch her conquer the earth.

He came to life when she smiled, drew breath when her eyes brightened, died when she left a room.

You can’t lie to me forever, Cyrus. I’m going to find out the truth about you, and when I do, I promise you this: I’ll ruin him. I’ll make the devil regret the day he was born.

My kingdom," he said softly. "For your hand.

It occurred to him then, with a vague panic, that he'd follow her off a cliff if she were the one to lead him there.

For as long as he lived he feared he'd know the scent of her, the sound of her walking toward him. She was a fool to think otherwise. He was a fool to think of her at all.

I need your help, sleepy boy. Can you do something for me? "Anything.

Are you some kind of Diviner?” “No.” “A monster, then?” He almost smiled. “Don’t say you’ve been speaking with my mother?

You really do love her?" Cyrus said nothing. He didn't need to.

This tremble inside him, this madness in his heart--it was all for her. All for her.

I want it all, angel. Not just your joy but your sorrow. Not just your hope but your fear, I want your anger and disdain, your frustration and contempt--

Fiction or not, she'd embedded inside him, replaced the air in his lungs. That she'd proven to be real--more exquisite than he'd dreamed--and entirely ignorant of him, had been more than he could bear.

God, you're so beautiful," he said, his smile vanishing. "Even when you lie to me.

Don't be afraid of me, angel. I won't hurt you. I'll never hurt you.

Every night a new facet of his soul died for her.

He might be driven to kill a man just to improve her view out a window. He might renege on the entire deal, just as the devil desired.

Cyrus had looked at her many times since she'd met him, and always with varying levels of intensity, but never quite like this. Never like he wanted to fall to his knees before her.

He leaned in, so close that he could feel his whisper against her lips as he spoke. "Try to weaponize those eyes against me again and I will have them permanently sewn shut.

I always thought you were some kind of an angel.

And I have a theory," she went on, "that if I were badly wounded, you would help me. True or false?" He went silent. He was silent so long Alizeh had time enough to watch a drop of dew drip off a glossy green leaf. "True or false, Cyrus?" She heard his uneven exhale, the raw edge to his voice when he said, irritably, "False." The nosta flashed cold. "Liar," she whispered.

As much as it tortured him to look at her, it tortured him more to look away.

He didn't need to turn to see her, for Alizeh lived always in luxury behind his eyes; he turned because the act of aligning his body towards hers was chased every time by a strange relief.

Her beauty was its own violence

Take my eyes. Take my hands. Take the breath from my body. Strip the skin from my bones. Were I able to offer you my soul I would; I'd tear it from my flesh this moment and give it to you

You have no idea what I could give you," he said, his own eyes blazing. "You have no idea what I want. I have been in agony for eight months, Alizeh. Do you know how hard it's been to pretend I don't know you? To pretend I don't want you? To act as if I haven't known every inch of your body in my dreams? To learn that your heart has been entangled elsewhere? I look at you and I can't breathe. In my mind, you are already mine.

Well. You remember how I said I owed our mutual friend a very large debt?” “Yes.” “And that helping you was the only repayment he would accept?” She swallowed. “Yes.” “And do you remember how I told you that he wanted you to rule? To be a Jinn queen?” Alizeh nodded. “Well. You have no kingdom,” he said. “No land to lord over. No empire to lead.” “No,” she said softly. “I don’t.” “Well, then. You are coming to Tulan,” Cyrus said, taking a quick breath. “To marry me.

He knew at once he'd been tricked; he knew at once she was an instrument of the devil, sent to ruin him. And yet he weakened each time she looked in his direction. His need grew only more explosive as she solidified into someone real; always he desired another glance, another accidental graze of her skin.

Cyrus stared at her for a full second before he finally broke, and laughed out loud. "I tell you a single sad story and your defenses weaken that easily? Against me? You lovely little fool, you're going to get yourself killed." "Oh shut up." She crossed her arms.

...You've known from the first that I am yoked to a ruthless master, that in fact I sought you out under his orders, that I disrupted my life and dishonored my home and tore myself open at his behest, all for you." He swallowed. "All for you. Do you really not see what you've done to me? In a matter of days you've stripped me down and upended my world. My hours are in disarray, my future is in chaos, and my head--my head--" He turned away and grimaced, his fists clenching, and Alizeh thought her heart might stop. "And instead of being angry," he went on, "instead of driving you away, instead of wishing we've never met--I keep staring at that fucking cut on your neck, Alizeh, and I want to die.

What are you talking about?" she asked, alarmed. "You speak as if I harmed you-" He laughed then, laughed like he might be coming unhinged. "Of course you don't know. Why would you? How could you pssoibly know the truth? That you've been haunting me for so long-tormenting me every night-" "Cyrus, stop it," she said. "You're not being fair-I never even knew you-" "You don't understand," he said, tortured. "I've been dreaming about you for months.

But Cyrus—

Not trusting herself to speak, she shook her head. "God, you're so beautiful," he said, his smile vanishing. "Even when you lie to me.

Well then. You are coming to Tulan,” Cyrus said, taking a quick breath. “To marry me.” Alizeh gave a sharp cry and fell off the dragon.

He laughed a little, like he was drunk. "I do say it a lot." "What?" she said, going briefly still. "Your name," he said, closing his eyes. He nearly fell over catching himself at the last second. "I didn't know your name for so long, angel. I love the way it feels on my mouth.

It's one thing," she said angrily, "to enter into a false arrangment in the pursuit of our own interests. But this-Cyrus, this wouldn't be false, and it would complicate everything. What were you going to do? If I kissed you? What would come next?" "I would marry you," he said, stepping closer again, coming dangerously within reach. "I'd marry you tomorrow. And then I'd take you to bed. For weeks.

He might be driven to kill a man just to improve her view out a window. He might renege on the entire deal, just as the devil desired.

For as long as he lived he feared he'd know the scent of her, the sound of her walking toward him. She was a fool to think otherwise. He was a fool to think of her at all.

Fiction or not, she'd embedded inside him, replaced the air in his lungs. That she'd proven to be real--more exquisite than he'd dreamed--and entirely ignorant of him, had been more than he could bear.

It occurred to him then, with a vague panic, that he'd follow her off a cliff if she were the one to lead him there.

He came to life when she smiled, drew breath when her eyes brightened, died when she left a room.

He wanted to make her laugh. He wanted to hold her hand. He wanted to bring her tea and walk with her through the seasons. He wanted to watch her conquer the earth.