#sarah ja maas

[visualtaehyun]

MY GIRLS ARE FINALLY ON AIR

Disclaimer: not a native Thai speaker, still learning 🙏

Ongsa and Sun

At first, Ongsa wrongly assumes that Sun is older so she calls her พี่ /phi/, speaks respectfully and wais her:

ขอโทษค่ะพี่ /khaaw thoht kha, phi/

Then they settle into these pronouns:

☀ Sun: เรา /rao/ -> Ongsa (calls her เธอ /ter/ once when she asks her name)

🌐 Ongsa: เรา /rao/ -> Sun

-> เรา /rao/ is an informal 1st pers. pronoun that pretty much all the students in Ongsa's class seem to use

Later, when they're texting, it takes Ongsa entirely too long to catch onto the fact that Sun thinks Earth is a guy because-

คุยกันมาตั้งนาน เรายังไม่รู้เลยว่านายชื่ออะไร /khui gan maa dtang naan. rao yang mai ruu loei waa naai cheuu a rai/ -> นาย /naai/ is a male 2nd pers. pronoun

While we're talking about their texts, the subs have this weirdly mixed up:

1 - ฝันดีนะ /fan dee na/ = lit. dream well/good dreams, 'Sweet dreams' 2 - ราตรีสวัสดิ์ /raa dtree sa wat/ = formal, 'Good night' 3 - Similarly, Sun's มอนิ่งนะ /morning na/ is a more informal 'Good morning' compared to formal อรุณสวัสดิ์ /a roon sa wat/ or polite สวัสดีตอนเช้า /sa wat dee dtaawn chaao/

When Ongsa isn't gay-panic hiccupping, she's actually really clever and witty! I'll get to her ig posts in a second but there's also this moment:

ยังสวยอยู่เลย /yang suay yuu loei/ สวยจะ หมายถึง ซวยอ่ะ /suay ja- maai theung- suay a/

The difference in pronunciation between these two words is just the tone - สวย /suay/ (rising tone) means pretty vs. ซวย /suay/ (middle tone) means unlucky

from.the.earth__

ถ่ายรูป ด่วน สี-ขาวดำ /thaai ruup duaan see khaao dam/ = urgent/express black-and-white photography caption: ยกกล้องมาถ่ายแทบไม่ทัน /yohk glaawng maa thaai thaaep mai than/ = almost didn't raise the camera in time to snap this

caption: เงา-เหงา /ngao-ngao/ = shadow-lonely -> เงา ๆ /ngao ngao/ is an expression that means indistinctly, faintly

The difference in pronunciation is, again, in the tones - เงา /ngao/ (middle tone) means shadow vs. เหงา /ngao/ (rising tone) means lonely

caption: ว้าว! ปลาทับใจจัง /wow! bplaa thap jai jang/

I love this SO much omg It's a pun on ประทับใจ /bpra thap jai/ = impressed, but also a visual pun!!

ปลา /bplaa/ = fish + ทับ /thap/ = placed on top of + ใจ /jai/ = heart

caption: สู้ ๆ นะ เป็นกำลังใจให้ /su su na. bpen gam lang jai hai/ = Fighting! Rooting for/encouraging [you]!

Another visual pun! This one's only funny if you know what peaches are called in Thai: peach = ลูกท้อ /luuk thaaw/ - but the word ท้อ /thaaw/ in there? It means discouraged!

Alpha, Aylin, and Luna

🔝 Alpha is Ongsa's older sister: พี่ /phi/ (used as a 1st pers. pronoun) -> แก /gae/ (informal 2nd pers. pronoun)

👽 Aylin is their cousin, in the same grade as Ongsa, and speaks pretty curtly, almost like someone would on two-way radio: she doesn't use any pronouns apart from this once-

แกกำลังบุกรุกที่ของฉัน /gae gam lang book rook thee khaawng chan/

Omitting pronouns is possible and not uncommon in Thai but doing so constantly, combined with her monotone speech pattern, low voice, and mostly a lack of ending particles, it does stick out! It doesn't really come across in the subs tbh (apart from including the way she refers to people as humans = มนุษย์ /ma noot/):

ไม่ต้องแคร์ใคร /mai dtaawng care khrai/ = Don't need to care about anyone.

🌙 Luna, Alpha, the two bullies, and Mawin all seem to be in the same grade because all of them use the impolite pronouns กู/มึง /guu, meung/ (=I/you) amongst each other - how very fun to finally hear some GMMTV girls talk like this :D

I love Alpha and Luna teaming up to beat up scold these two dipshits:

Alpha: พวกมึงสองคนแกล้งน้องกูออ /phuuak meung saawng khohn glaaeng nong guu aaw/ Mawin, trying to defuse: พวกเธอใจเย็นก่อน /phuuak ter jai yen gaawn/

While the girls are furious, the guys are clearly fearing for their lives, wai'ing endlessly 😂

Lastly-

Sarah Salola

I gasped when I saw her name in the credits!! She's this handsome singer-songwriter with a lovely voice who's queer herself - she's talked about her sexuality and style before (interview is in Thai) but this Valentine's she revealed her partner :)

Here's a cover of Nont Tanont's รักแรก (First Love) she did with Jan 💕

Needless to say, I can't wait for her OST and the accompanying MV that's surely gonna be super cute!

[torillatavataan]

Joulunajan mainoksia MTV3:lta vuodelta 1998

Aikakone: Maa CD ja kasetti

Stillco johtokotelo

Kesport InterSport

Suomalainen Kirjakauppa: Raija Oranen: Rahasta ja rakkaudesta

Sarah Brightman: Eden CD

Avainlippu: Hyvää Suomalaista Joulua

Havi kynttilät

Shelcore lelut

Lahden kaupunginorkesteri: Joulun Ihmemaa CD ja kasetti

Multi-Tabs

Kansallinen kirjakauppa: Mauri Kunnas: Puhveli-Billin Lännensirkus, Bert: Villi ja vapaa, Robert Ludlum: Mataresen Tuho, Laila Hietamies: Kylä järven sylissä, "Runsaasti CD-romppuja ja ohjelmia", Cross kynät

Roseanne Show

[tigeherilane]

BOOKS 2023

Agatha Christie - Murder in the Mews (Hercule Poirot, #16)

James Patterson - Põrguväravad (Toimik, 46)

Holly Black - The Darkest Part of the Forest

Terry Pratchett - Good Omens

Sylvain Reynard - The Shadow (The Florentine, #2)

Tzu Sun - The Art of War: (Miniature book)

Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre

James Patterson - The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9)

Cliff Barlow - The Last Stair into Darkness

Leighann Dobbs - Halloween Party Murder

Leigh Bardugo - Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1)

Fern Siegel - Uhkus ja eelarvamus

Grady Hendrix - How to Sell a Haunted House

E.L. James - Freed (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian, #3)

Christopher Berry-Dee - Face to Face with Serial Killers: My Conversations with the World’s Most Evil Men

Fredrik Backman - And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Natasha Pulley - The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, #1)

Emily McIntire - Hooked (Never After, #1)

Jennette McCurdy - I’m Glad My Mom Died

Danya Kukafka - Notes on an Execution

Matthew Costello - Dead in the Water (Cherringham Novels #1)

Agatha Christie - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)

Nikki St. Crowe - The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys, #1)

Sam Kean - The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science

Sylvia Day - Bared to You (Crossfire, #1)

Stephen King - Gwendy’s Button Box

Travis Baldree - Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Lucy Foley - The Guest List

Sarah J. Maas - House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)

Stephen Graham Jones - My Heart Is a Chainsaw (The Indian Lake Trilogy, #1)

Robert Graysmith - Zodiac

Taylor Jenkins Reid - Maybe in Another Life

Iain Reid - I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Kiersten White - Hide

Simone St. James - The Book of Cold Cases

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death - Caitlin Doughty

What Lies Beyond the Veil (Of Flesh & Bone, #1) - Harper L. Woods

Libba Bray - The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)

Simon Toyne - The Key

Alexis Henderson - House of Hunger

Caitlin Doughty - Kas kass paneb mu silmamunad nahka?

Ann Rule - The Stranger Beside Me: The Shocking Inside Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy

Cassandra Clare - Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1)

[viksa20302]

"- Mam wrażenie, że leżę na dnie morza, a to, kim jestem, a raczej kim byłam, znajduje się na powierzchni. Ja zaś nigdy już tam nie dotrę."

Sarah J. Maas - Królestwo popiołów. Część 1.

[monriatitans]

2023 Wrap-Up

Artist Shout-Outs Shared

Current AI ‘art’ is created on the backs of hundreds of thousands of artists and photographers who made billions of images and spend time, love and dedication to have their work soullessly stolen and used by selfish people for profit without the slightest concept of ethics. – Alexander Nanitchkov

Shout-Outs Total: 140

January: 14

February: 12

March: 9

April: 14

May: 10

June: 9

July: 15

August: 12

September: 13

October: 11

November: 12

December: 9

Times a Shout-Out was asked to be Removed: 2

2023 Causes – Trigger Warning

National Black Business Month Quotes of 2023

QUOTE 1: Jeffrey G. Duarte

QUOTE 2: Madam C.J. Walker

QUOTE 3: Aliko Dangote

QUOTE 4: Rosalind Brewer

QUOTE 5: Vernon Jordan

QUOTE 6: Marjorie Joyner

QUOTE 7: Oprah Winfrey

QUOTE 8: Kenneth Chenault

QUOTE 9: Russell Simmons

QUOTE 10: Richard Parsons

QUOTE 11: Lena Horne

QUOTE 12: Wilma Rudolph

QUOTE 13: Sheila Johnson

QUOTE 14: Tyra Banks

QUOTE 15: Best Ayiorwoth

Library Sign-Up Month Quotes of 2023

QUOTE 1: Sarah J. Maas

QUOTE 2: Lemony Snicket

QUOTE 3: Walter Cronkite

QUOTE 4: Ray Bradbury

QUOTE 5: Catherynne M. Valente

QUOTE 6: Dwight D. Eisenhower

QUOTE 7: E.B. White

QUOTE 8: Terry Pratchett

QUOTE 9: Gail Honeyman

QUOTE 10: Stephen Fry

QUOTE 11: Ta-Nehisi Coates

QUOTE 12: Robin Sloan

QUOTE 13: Mark Twain

QUOTE 14: Roger Zelazny

QUOTE 15: Carl Sagan

ADHD Awareness Quotes of 2023

QUOTE 1: Albert Einstein

QUOTE 2: William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA

QUOTE 3: Jesse J. Anderson

QUOTE 4: ADDitude

QUOTE 5: Anna Whateley

QUOTE 6: Sylvia Mercedes

QUOTE 7: Holly Smale

QUOTE 8: Richard Pink & Roxanne Emery

QUOTE 9: Sasha Hamdani

QUOTE 10: Sari Solden

QUOTE 11: Jenara Nerenberg

QUOTE 12: Emma Thomas

QUOTE 13: Rebecca Solnit

QUOTE 14: Shayne Neal

QUOTE 15: Shannon L. Alder

Adoption Awareness Quotes 2023

QUOTE 1: Eleanor Brown

QUOTE 2: Sarah Sentilles

QUOTE 3: Charlena E. Jackson

QUOTE 4: Kristen Howerton

QUOTE 5: Nitya Prakash

QUOTE 6: Diamond Mike Watson

QUOTE 7: Christina Rickardsson

QUOTE 8: Joyce Maynard

QUOTE 9: Lisa Wingate

QUOTE 10: Janine Myung-Ja

QUOTE 11: Nicole Chung

QUOTE 12: Steve Pemberton

QUOTE 13: Celeste Ng

QUOTE 14: Liz Tolsma

QUOTE 15: Rachel Hollis

TW – Human Trafficking Awareness Quotes 2023

QUOTE 1: Asa Don Brown

QUOTE 2: Jeremy Harding

QUOTE 3: Bob Mueller

QUOTE 4: Dillon Burroughs

QUOTE 5: Gladys Lawson

QUOTE 6: Aberjhani

QUOTE 7: Blue Campaign

QUOTE 8: Blue Campaign

QUOTE 9: Blue Campaign

QUOTE 10: Department of State

QUOTE 11: Department of State

QUOTE 12: Department of State

Poems Shared

Poetry of 2023

Art Theft Haiku

Money

Communication 101

Twitter

Public Policy

Art

Work

Lies of P

Understanding

Doritos

Raindrops

“Not All Men”

Neurodivergence

Small Talk

Honesty

Details

“Attention Seeking”

Education

“Deserve”

Communication 102

For the Future

“Behaviors”

“Puzzle”

For all poems, click here.

[lady-sai]

Exciting Fall News!

Dance With Darkness - An Exciting Announcement!

So, I am being published in an anthology from Hydra Productions entitled Dance With Darkness that is set for pre-order 9/17!

PreOrder Dance With Darkness TODAY!

Here's the Blurb!

To protect your people, you must allow yourself to be captured by the creature everyone has feared for over a century.

Or maybe, you're a stowaway bested by an enemy on distant shores or a princess seeking a deal to save your kingdom.

Whether this collection of stories takes you on a journey through a magical landscape or brings a creature from a distant land to your doorstep, you won't be left wanting of magic and excitement. In this collection, you'll be captivated by dark magic, anti-heroes, and tough heroines who don't cower in the face of their demons. In fact, you might find some falling for them.

Fae, vampires, elves, and more grace the pages of this book, written by various beloved fantasy and paranormal authors. Be captivated by unconventional enemies to lovers stories with twists to thrill, surprise you, and sometimes, break your heart.

Grab your copy of DANCE WITH DARKNESS today. Discover nearly a dozen romantic fantasy stories for fans of Elise Kova, Emily Blackwood, Sarah J. Maas, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Laurell K Hamilton, and more!

Fire Soldier by JA Culican!

BLURB

The Gods may think they own the fire soldiers, but they have no idea of the inferno that’s coming.

I was born from Ares with the fire given to him from his one true love. Though the Gods imprisoned him as punishment for loving a woman that wasn’t his, he forged a kingdom from the flames and made his children his soldiers.

Now that Ares is gone, the Gods will stop at nothing to control the Kingdom of Fire and all who inhabit it. But I was created to fight, so, in Ares name I'll avenge his murder and reduce them all to ashes for what they have done to my family.

The only problem is, my brethren don’t fully understand what’s at stake, so I’m on my own fighting a battle with a cursed trait no one knows about. When Karim, a half centaur/half siren and my sworn enemy since birth takes my side as I stand up to the Gods, I’m torn, but without anyone else to help save the fire soldiers, I have to accept help from my age old rival, with secrets of his own.

I might not like it, but he’s the only thing between my eternal servitude and scorching the earth with the bones of the Gods that enslave us. We are coming for the thrones of the Gods, and I’m not going to let anything stand in my way. Between us, we’ll set the heavens ablaze and watch the ashes fall.

If you love Game of Thrones, Greek mythology and enemies to lovers romance that’s guaranteed to have your heart set to slow burn, grab book one of this sizzling fantasy series now.

Alpha Seeker from Lela Grayce!

Can she find her mate and save her people from extinction?

PearlChosen in secret to be the Alpha Seeker, it is Pearl’s duty to carry out a mission many have failed at. Find a worthy Alpha. The packs are led by corrupt, power hungry alphas who have stripped families, like hers, of their titles and forced them into exile. Now, her mate will be the alpha to unite the packs and bring balance by righting the wrongs of the past.

RylanRylan has seen the corrupt nature of wolves firsthand, and can't deny his own lust for power. In spite of it all, he is pushing his desire for political gain aside to seek answers from a different source. In order for him to achieve his full potential, he must find his true mate. Too bad she hates him.

Now both are investigating the death of the previous Alpha Seeker, they realize that—like it or not—they can accomplish more together. Can Rylan use the opportunity to convince Pearl he’s changed for the better? Or will Pearl reject him and leave him to a life of madness and ruin?

Shadow of the Dragon Book 3 from Amber Morant!

The final battle has begun.

Kalio has hidden within the confines of Ombramoor, leaving Anjuu to destroy the last remnants of the queen's army. When a mysterious assassin reveals herself to Anjuu, all of the Drow's plans begin to unravel before her. On the other side of Narishma, a scholar and a god work to fuse into a single being. Together, they must learn the truth behind the many stories around Devata and the mysterious images from their shrines. Tosh's mind may not be able to handle what is in store for him. With the final chapter coming to a close, the fate of Narishma and its future rests in the hands, and claws, of the Dragon Guardians and Gods.

In the Shadow of a Wish: A Fairytale Reimagining with Spice by Maci Aurora!

Auri Fareview, practical and realistic, does what she can to serve her impoverished family. When she finds a golden key that could be the answer she needs to save her sisters from the unjust Marriage Laws of her land, she discovers the treasure might be more than she bargained for. Enchanted, the key is home to an imprisoned god, who wreaks havoc on her body, her heart, and her soul. And those aren’t practical matters. He has the power to break her.

Nixus Uraiahs has lost track of how long he’s been imprisoned by the spell on the key. There have been six key-keepers, all of whom have failed to break the spell to free him. He will hold this 7th key-keeper accountable to the bargain of the spell: three wishes and a price for each. There’s no hope in her freeing him, however. Nix knows she'll be like all the key-keepers who came before her. Except Auri approaches her wishes differently than any of the others, and Nix begins to see her as more than just a key-keeper. She intrigues him, proving her strength, surprising him, and enchanting him. Nix realizes his heart is at risk of being captured by the seventh key-keeper, and that is a risk he can’t afford to take knowing his villainy is just a single wish away.

NEW RELEASE!

From Jen L Grey: Destined Mate (Twisted Fate Trilogy, Book One)

PNR/Urban Fantasy

Fate stripped everything from me and forced me to face my worst nightmare.

As the adopted and weakest member of my pack, I’ve always been an outcast and mistreated, especially since I’ve never been able to shift into my animal form.

Every time I try to find a way to escape my personal hell, my pack leader stops me so that I’ll never be free from him.

Then the worst happens.

A group of my pack members attacked me.

Alone, outnumbered, and stuck in my human form, I’ll fight for my life even though there’s no hope for survival.

Until a group of unfamiliar wolves come to my aid.

The sexiest and strongest of them, Bodey, is adamant to protect me.

And something inside me tugs toward him almost unnaturally.

But it turns out things aren’t what they seem.

There might be something more to my past than I knew . . . and

Bodey might be the very person I need protection from.

Buy Your Copy of Destined Mate Today!

Hidden Passages: Realm Walkers by Elle Klass

Rosette and Terra’s bonding vacation in the Meradin Woods in Aradia is cut short when the realms are invaded.

Trapped in the tiny city of Provence, refugees flood in from the realms and Terra’s true nature and parentage is revealed to her. Without a moment to consider it, she’s smuggled to another realm to practice magic that is anything but innate to her, when she is kidnapped by someone with electric whips. Her already complicated life grows in complexity when she and her kidnapper, a young attractive warlock, find they share a bond and a mission.

Their lack of trust in one another diminishes as they narrowly escape an encounter with a hybrid fae/warlock in the dungeon beneath the fae palace. Thrust into the secrets of the past and enigmas of the present, their bond ties them to the future as they find themselves embroiled in a battle between warlocks, werewolves, and vampires.

Destiny weighs on their shoulders, as they must find a way to salvage Drakonia and bring peace to the realms.

Hidden Passages is Available Now!

[otterthewasted]

A Call to Arms

What if Feyre decided to not stand on the sidelines during the first battle in book three A Court of Wind and Run? What if she decided to take to the fight in her own, unique way?

I decided to take a small break from my other project (a retelling of ACOMAF from Rhysand's point of view) to write this short story up. I was not satisfied with the battle scenes ACOWAR, I really felt like Feyre was not given the opportunity to kick ass. In the second book, Rhys had suggested to Feyre that she might have the ability to freeze over an entire army... but we never get to see her try.

I chose the first battle (not the one in Adriata), instead of the second battle, even though her help would have been more useful in the second battle, because... well I'm not sure why. Honestly, there would have been complications with either battle, so what the heck, I went with the first.

I used bits and pieces from the actual book, but twisted things up to work the way I wanted.

This is slightly mature because there are some mildly graphic depictions of violence, as well at the end I included the sex scene from the book, but in my own way and it isn't over the top explicit.

You can also read this on AO3 HERE.

I hope you enjoy!

*Disclaimer - I do not take credit for the any of the characters or the world created by Sarah J. Maas.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

War was… awful. No, that’s not right, that word wasn’t strong enough – it was gut twisting, soul wrenchingly abhorrent.

Mor and I stood on a tree-covered hill, overlooking the battle, and every bloody second of it ripped my soul to shreds – and I was not even in the thick of it. We were both armed and armored, in case things went badly, in case there was a trap, but neither of us were expected to fight today. I was untried and untested, and it had been agreed that I should watch and learn instead, and Mor would remain behind as my guard, and my friend.

I had understood the logic of this decision – I had been receiving training in fighting, with both my magic and my sword, but my training could be measured in months instead of years – unlike most of the fae fighting down below. I was also High Lady, were I to fall in battle my death would not just impact Rhysand, or my family, it would send shock waves through our people that could be disastrous to their morale. So, it made sense to stand back and watch, even if just for this first battle.

It made sense… and it didn’t. Because those were my people down there, not just fae from my Court, but fae from my home – Prythian. To stand back and do nothing… it ate at me, tore at me, ground me to nothing, until I was less than nothing.

I did quickly see that there was no place for me amongst the Illyrians – not only was my flying not strong enough, my reflexes not quick enough to keep up with them, but to hack away with sword and spear and shield over and over until you could no longer feel your arms or body. I had no experience with that, I was not even strong enough for that. Even Keir’s soldier fought in a way I had no training in, lined up in obedient rows, their shields up and interconnecting and hacking away in the same manner as the Illyrians, only on foot.

The battle in Adriata had been different, it was not facing off against an untold horde of soldiers standing side by side with your fellow soldiers, trusting in them as surely as you trusted in your own skills. It had been me and Mor, sweeping through the palace, wiping out small pockets of soldiers with our swords and magic, and I had been good at that. Even the attack on Velaris I had held my own, entirely by myself, against the invading force of Hybern in the Rainbow.

Even knowing all of that… I watched as Rhys and Cassian and Azriel hammered at the army – they were easily recognizable amongst the Illyrians by their armor, and by their single-minded ferocity. Rhys alone stood out from the sheer power that radiated from him – it was glorious and beautiful and so very deadly. And as much as the fighting scared me, as much as I had no desire to kill anyone, despite what Hybern had done to my family and intended to do to my people and my former people, as much as I knew I had no place down there… I knew I needed to help.

I could feel it in me, my power, bubbling up inside of me until it pulsed through my veins and danced over my skin. So maybe, I was not meant to fight as an Illyrian or as a Darkbringer, but I could fight in a way no other in Prythian, no other in the world, could. I could fight as Feyre, reborn from the power of seven High Lords. I could fight with fire and water, wind and ice, darkness and light, and shape-shifting.

I could vaguely hear Mor beside me, vaguely hear her calling my name through the rush of power in my ears – but I ignored her. I could not distract myself – what I would be doing would be hard, and it would have to be precise or I would risk harming my own people.

Along the other side of the battle field lay a shallow river, but it had water enough for me – it was a fair distance away, but I could still feel it. I cast my power out and reached for it, dove into it, twisted and swirled among the lazy current, and then pulled. I drew the water up and over the banks and spun it, molded it, until it took on the form of the water wolves, I had used in Velaris. They stretched and writhed and danced in place, as though anxious to join the battle.

I had enough forethought to reach out to Rhy’s mind, Rhys, inform the others – the wolves are coming.

And I cast him an image he had seen before in my mind, of my battle in Velaris, of the pack of wolves I had run with to track down the beasts that attacked our city. Shock echoed down our bond, tinged with delight, and agreement that he would inform our soldiers.

And then I released the wolves.

They charged into the side of the Hybern army, driving into them with such speed and brutality that for an instant it felt like the battle froze in shock… and then the screaming resumed in earnest. My wolves leapt onto soldiers, enveloping them in water, not just surrounding them with it but actually clawing down their throats into their lungs, until they dropped their weapons and clawed at their throats. Until they dropped to their knees, and their eyes rolled back, and they fell to the ground, dead.

One after another they fell, and if a solider managed to shield just before an attack my wolves would simply move to another, and then another, working their way across the battlefield. Their path formed a small, tight wedge in the army, and I continued to drive them forward, creating more of them and plowed them into the army, until there were a great many of them near the middle mass of the Hybern army, weaving in and amongst them.

And then I released my hold over the shape of the water, and the wolves fell apart into a splash of water that hit the ground like a small wave, soaking the already muddy, trampled ground below. It turned the thick mud into a quagmire, and the soldiers sank down into it. The weight of their arms and armor tugging them down until they were stuck near to their calves in it, making their movements slow and arduous. I was not finished with them yet however – I could do more. This day of battle was hot, the sky clear and the sun punishing us with its heat – but inside of my there lived such icy rage.

Ice.

I cast out my power again, sinking down into the thickly mired mud that sucked at the soldier’s legs and slowed their movements – but did not stop them. With a twist of my power that turned from fluid as the water I had used before, to hard and crystal, I froze the water in the mud. The ground turned solid, and instead of slowing the movements of the soldiers it stopped them completely, trapped them in place. The water resisted being frozen – the air and ground were warm from the sun and the season, but I pushed hard against that heat. Fire was another of my gifts, and I splintered my power so that one part of it could swallow the heat of the day; I was not strong enough to turn this day into winter, but I could… dampen it.

The ground remained frozen, and a large, roughly circular swath of Hybern’s army was stuck in place, unable to advance or flee. I could see them using their weapons to hack at the ground, trying to free themselves, and ultimately bloodying themselves in the effort. The rest of the army – those I had not trapped, panicked. The realized, between my efforts and those of the Illyrians and Keir’s Darkbringers, they were losing. They began to flee, turning tail and running.

I would not allow that to happen.

I could feel exhaustion creeping into me, but I ignored it – there wasn’t time for it. I was juggling fire and ice already, managing them with smooth efficiency, but I was going to add another ball to the performance.

Wind.

The Illyrian’s powerful wings buffeted the air as they dove and swooped and attacked, they rode the currents of the wind, masters of the element. I was its master too – and while I still might not be able to fly as well as the rest of them, I could certainly soar among the wind in other ways.

I splinted off another portion of my power and it leapt into the sky and dove, soaring down until it swirled in front of the retreating army. I spread my power out around the field like a band – it was not long enough to trap the entire face of the army, my strength was beginning to run out, but it did cover a generous portion of it. I took in a deep breath, and as though my power mimicked my body, it sucked in the air around it, causing the grass and small bushes to rustle with the movement, and then I pushed.

And the band of power I put in place became a solid wall of air – like the shield I had once made to protect myself in Tamlin’s study out of pure instinct, this one however was made with vicious intent. The retreating army slammed into it, and bounced back, the reverberation of their movements echoing through several rows of fleeing fae.

Pure panic rippled through them, and even at this distance I could taste it. I could feel them pounding against the shield, with weapons and hands and magic. I knew instinctively that the shield would not last for long, it was too large, and I was fast becoming depleted – but it did not have to. I was not shielding them from something valuable, I was preventing them from fleeing. These precious minutes that I held them in place, most of them at least for a large contingent of them had raced along the edge of the shield and found where it ended and begun to flood around it, gave time for my army, for the Illyrians to swing around and meet them on the other side, and trap them from all sides.

When the Illyrians held solid against their retreat I finally released my control over the air, dropping the shield – causing no few of those shoved hard against it to stumble and fall to the ground and be nearly trampled by those behind - an advantage my armies used to its fullest.

Realizing their defeat, Hybern’s army began casting down their weapons and falling to their knees, begging for mercy.

It was only then I felt Mor touching my arm, shaking me, and heard her calling to me, “Feyre! Feyre enough! It’s done!"

And with a gasp, I released my hold on the fire, and ice, letting the ground melt back into mud and mire, and I, I fell to my knees in the grass. My hands managed to catch me before I went down face first and panted for breath.

Mor crouched beside me, her hand on my back. Her voice held a note of awe to it, “Feyre… Feyre are you ok?”

Before I could respond I felt him, before I could lift my head, I heard him; his wings beating hard, and the sound of him landing firmly on the ground in front of me.

Rhysand.

“Mor, go help Cassian and Azriel with cleaning up,” his voice was rough with yelling, and husky with emotion.

I felt Mor rise from my side, walk a few steps, and winnow away. And then he was there, kneeling in front of me and his hands on my shoulders, lifting me up, supporting me. I felt his hand slide over my cheek, and then cup my chin and lift my tired head so that he could see my eyes, and I fell into pools of violet.

There was pride in them, and concern, and shock and awe… but mostly there was love, such all-encompassing love that it filled me with warmth and strength, and in between one heartbeat and the next, I was holding my own body up.

“Feyre…” he whispered, and before he could say more, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him to me, hard and desperate, burying my face against his neck as I trembled. His arms wrapped around me, solid and warm, and held me against him. I was home, and the battle had been won, and he was safe.

Nothing else in the world mattered for this moment.

It couldn’t last though, such things never did, but these moments did not always end in terror and grief, but sometimes just in practicality and duty. He drew back from me slowly, when my trembling had eased, and looked into my eyes again, his hands sliding up to cup my face.

A slow smile curved along his lips, “Feyre darling… you are… radiant."

I let out a small laugh, tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall – not yet. Later.

“We have work to do,” I said quietly, and he nodded. He did not tell me no, to stay back here out of danger, he did not tell me I was too tired, he did not even ask me if I was. He trusted me to know myself and what I was capable of. He stood, and I did to, though I did take his proffered hand to do so. We stepped up to the edge of the hill and looked down over the terrible scene of battle, and his hand tightened around mine.

It was awful, and the screams of those injured and dying clung to the midday air, turning it heavy and nearly suffocating. This was battle was won, and the loss of life on our side minimal, but it was still terrible. I had not thought there was glory in battle before this but had there been even a glimmer of that lie still inside of me, this day would have utterly destroyed it.

I looked over at Rhys and knew he felt the same way.

He looked at me again, no smile on his face, and asked me quietly, “Where do you want to go? Down to the field, or to the medical tents?”

That had been the plan originally, after battle I was to return to the medical tents to help with the wounded – but he was giving me the choice, always my choice.

I decided, however, to stick with this plan. “The medical tents, I’ll be of more use there.”

A nod and he opened his arms to me, I stepped close and he held me as he winnowed me into the camp, into what was quickly becoming chaos. Leaning down, he kissed my forehead lightly, then stepped back, giving me a small smile, and winnowed away.

The next few hours were exhausting, in body and spirit. By the end I felt nearly numb with exhaustion and soaked near to the bone with the blood of the injured. When the healers finally ordered me to bed, an action which did manage to amuse me, I had stopped at a wash barrel and scrubbed the blood from my hands and arms. The trek across camp to the tent Rhys and I shared was arduous, and I might have just winnowed if my own powers hadn’t been so depleted from earlier in the day.

When I reached the tent it was dark inside, so I entered quietly and shed my clothes in a dirty pile on the floor. Walking to the edge of our pallet I lifted the blankets and slid in beside Rhys, who shifted and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling his lips against my ear, “You smell like blood.”

A little surprised to find him still awake, I wrapped my arms around him and wiggled closer, feeling the warmth of his bare skin pressing against mine. “Sorry,” I murmured quietly, though I had been too tired to mess with a full bath.

He stroked a hand over my waist and down to my hip, “You must be exhausted.”

And I was, bone deep – and he should be as well. We had both spent our bodies and power today, and it was truly a wonder we had not passed out by now.

“And you should be sleeping,” I admonished gently.

He hesitated a moment then answered, “Can’t.”

That made me lift my head a little, peering at his face through the heavy darkness of this near moonless night, “Why?”

I felt his fingers trace along my spine then, long, languorous touches that sent shivers racing through me, and caused my back to arch in response.

“It takes a while – to settle myself after battle,” he explained quietly as he rolled closer to me then, and began to trace his lips along the curve of my jaw, and to my lips, whispering against them “And the sight of you, of what you did, of your powers…” He pressed his lips to mine, hard and hungry, and I responded in kind, meeting his growing passion with my own enflamed fervor.

He drew back, too soon for my happiness, and rested his forehead against mine, breathing quickly, sharing air with me, “If you’re too tired…”

And I was tired… but I needed him. I needed this: us, together, wrapped in each other, body and soul.

I tilted my head and pressed my lips to his again, parting them to brush my tongue over the curve of his and felt his part to accept my tongue. I slid my body closer, running a foot over the curve of his leg as I hitched my thigh over his, half rolling on top of him. He groaned against me, his hand still on my hip, fingers tightening there, and pulling me the rest of the way on top of him. Our kiss did not break as I settled there, straddling him, feeling the hardness of his erection nestled between my thighs, pressing against my stomach.

He drew back from the kiss a little, and looked up at me, his eyes shining, and face flushed, and so heartbreakingly beautiful.

“Feyre…” He whispered and I kissed him again, lightly, before I whispered softly, “Shh…”

No words, not now, not when I needed him this much.

He understood, and we spoke with our bodies instead, in the touch of our hands as his reached up to cup my breasts and rubbed his thumbs over my nipples, causing me to gasp and arch against him; in the touch of our mouths, as I brushed my lips down the curve of his neck, kissing and licking, tasting the sweet salt of his flesh; in the joining of our bodies as I slid down onto him and he filled every inch of me. Our joining was hard and fast, gasping as we held tightly to each other, afraid to let go.

An act of love in defiance of death.

When we shattered, it was soul deep, and I was trembling on top of him, my face buried in his neck and his arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me firmly against him.

Minutes passed before I finally pushed myself back up to look at him, and he reached up to brush his fingers over my face lightly.

“You,” he said quietly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, “are simply amazing… I… when you reached out to me today, and told me what you were going to do… I never imagined what it would lead to…”

He fell quiet, as though at a loss for words, and I pressed my cheek into the touch of his hand, thinking, then said, “I realized, watching the battle today, that there wasn’t a place for me in that kind of fighting. Not yet anyways, I don’t have the skill for it… but I couldn’t bear to just watch – those were my people fighting and dying, and I had to… I had to fight alongside them.” I swallowed, and suddenly the realization of what I had done today hit me.

Rhys saw the impact of it and pushed himself up, shifting me backwards on his lap, then reached up to cup my face with his hands, “So you made a place where you fit.” He smiled at me tenderly, “War is ugly, and messy, and unforgiving. You saw that today, became part of it today, and it will weigh on you for all of your remaining days.” Tears came to my eyes, the tears from earlier that I had not let fall and now rolled down my skin, over his hands that held me.

He wiped them away gently, lovingly, “But you can’t lose sight of the good you did today, of all the lives you saved. The deaths will weigh heavily, but the lives you saved should hold equal weight.”

I swallowed, and nodded, and he let my face go to pull me against him and I buried my face against his shoulder. He held me the rest of the night, keeping me close against him, and we slept and while I knew I dreamed of fire and water and ice and death… the warmth of him, and scent of his skin, kept the pain of it from overwhelming me.

We had won this battle, and though there were many more to come we would, as we always had, face them together.

[raziel-approves]

A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J Maas

To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.

Sem spoiler! 

Eu pensei que ACOMAF era meu livro favorito, mas descobri era porque ACOWAR ainda não tinha chegado em minhas mãos. Que livro! Que personagens! Que desenvolvimento! Estou completamente sem explicação sobre o que é esse livro. 

Acowar me fez perceber várias coisas, como chegar a conclusão que Rhysand é real... Rhysand mostrou que a esperança é real e que SIM pode ter bondade em algo ruim, como ele mesmo disse. Rhysand é cada palavra de conforto para alguém que precisa. Ele é ações em pro ao outro, sem pensar em sí mesmo. Rhysand é o melhor personagem já escrito e nunca vou ser agradecida o bastante pela Sarah o ter criado. Eu queria sentir raiva pelo que a Sarah me fez passar lendo esse livro, mas não a sinto. Obrigada Sarah, um dia te digo obrigada pessoalmente.

Quotes favoritas (é spoiler, então se não querem, não leiam a partir daqui)

"I love you." His head lifted, eyes churning. "There was a time when I dreamed of hearing that," he murmured. “When I never thought I’d hear it from you." He gestured to the tent,,, to Adriata beyond it. "Our trip here was the first time I let myself... hope." To the stars who listen - and the dreams that are answered." 

"Feyre Archeron." A labored breath. "I told you - to stay with the High Lord. And you did." 

"I would not have known that it is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters. I would not have known what it is to truly hope, even when the world tells you to despair." 

"If I had not met my cousin, I would never have learned that light can be found in even the darkest of hells. That kindness can thrive even amongst cruelty." 

[wswiecieslow]

-Masz straszne blizny-rzekł cicho. -Wszyscy nosimy blizny. Jedyna różnica polega na tym, że moje są bardziej widoczne od innych.

Sarah J. Maas 

[matthewtkafuck]

tag 8 people you want to get to know better

i was tagged by @jakeoettinger​ a million years ago, thank u angel

name/alias: jas

birthday: its in december

zodiac sign: sag sun, taurus moon, and scorpio rising

favorite colours: red, royal blue, sometimes green

hobbies: watching hockey, reading books, hiking, and rugby

last song you listened to: only one by the score

last film you watched: hotel transylvania 

favorite books: throne of glass series by sarah j maas is all time. the entire grishaverse by leigh bardugo. and i keep going back to the scarlet series by ac gaughen

something that helps people: i think this can mean a ton of different things but at the end of the day, being kind is the best thing you can do. you never know what someone is going through or what has happened to them. everyone has gone through some shit, no matter how they appear to you. smile and be kind. it doesn’t have to be this big gesture. the simplest things can go a long way.

meaning behind url: matthew tkachuk and “fuck” pretty much sum up who i am as a person

once again, i have no idea who has done this already. im tagging anyone who wants to do this.

[jadeloverxd]

Tagged by: @pchberrytea (I got this weeks ago and didn’t see it so sorry i’m late)

Cats or Dogs: if a pickle were an orange, i’d be a sausage and kick an avacado (both)

Sexuality: potato as a nugget (YOU CAN BE A POTATO FOR MEN AND A NUGGET FOR WOMEN)

Current Time: way too early to be sleep deprived

Reason for your URL: uhhh..... i just... chose a random name? Like.. I got this name from Wattpad when i tried to enter a username that was claimed so it suggested another name for me and tada! I born. And when I started with my stupid obsession with Sarah J Maas’s books. And inkitt. Inkitt is super chill, better than wattpad tbh. (in my op anyways)

Favorite animal: As a kid I fricking LOVED peacocks. You would not go without me telling you this at least five times a day. I still love them, but i slowly gravitated to Red Pandas as I got older cause they don’t look like pandas. They look like a Raccoon that had sex with a bear.

tagging: @theflyingzinniaumbrella @ja-crispea @skyrim-dao-fanatic @the-dansing-queen @nightwingshero @fluttyseed

[hazelmcnellis]

Welcome June - (m)ein Blick voraus!

Da ist er also, der Juni 2020. Damit ist das erste Halbjahr fast geschafft und wenn wir alle ehrlich sind: Das brauchte doch niemand, oder?! Deshalb schaue ich jetzt voraus, los geht’s!

Ziele im Juni 2020 - Entwicklung von Elfen2

Ich habe mir einiges vorgenommen für diesen frühsommerlichen Monat. Mein Elfenprojekt befindet sich ja noch immer in der “Werkstatt”. D. h. Der 2. Teil der Elfenreihe ist noch in der Mache, wie man hier so schön sagt. Wie kam es dazu?

Ich hatte die erste Fassung eigentlich schon zu zwei Dritteln geschrieben (knapp 70k Wörter). Aber es gab kein Ende. Nicht einmal ansatzweise. Meine Protagonisten wuselten also ziemlich ziellos vor sich hin. Das geht ja mal gar nicht. Deshalb grübelte ich einige Zeit darüber nach und begann eine neue Version aufzuschreiben. Die umfasst jetzt fast 40k Wörter und ist in sich schon deutlich stimmiger. Soweit der aktuelle Stand.

Für den Juni habe ich mir also neben den regelmäßigen Beiträgen auf Instagram und Tumblr vorgenommen, diese Fassung endlich fertigzustellen. Dafür sind noch ungefähr 60k Wörter nötig, schätze ich. In “Das Leuchten deiner Seele” (Teil 1 der Romantasy-Reihe findet ihr in den gängigen Online-Shops oder könnt es im Buchhandel bestellen) habe ich angekündigt, dass die Fortsetzung noch in diesem Jahr erscheinen wird. Dabei bleibe ich auch. Im Herbst könnt ihr wahrscheinlich mit dem e-Book/Taschenbuch rechnen. Dieses schließt den Zweiteiler dann auch ab. Ihr müsstet dann also nicht auf noch einen Teil warten. *hehe*

Idee: “Hazel’s Buchwochen” reloaded?

Neben der Arbeit am Elfenprojekt habe ich überlegt, ob ich meine YouTube-Reihe “Hazel’s Buchwochen” neu aufleben lassen soll. Der Gedanke ist noch taufrisch und wenig durchdacht. Schwierig ist dabei vor allem das Zeitmanagement. Ein Video für YouTube braucht für gewöhnlich deutlich mehr Zeit für die Bearbeitung und so als es bei anderen Dingen der Fall wäre. Zudem müsste ich mir noch einen Themenplan überlegen.

“Hazel’s Buchwochen” hatte ich 2016 begonnen, nach einigen Wochen jedoch eingestellt. Gründe gab es viele, allen voran den, dass mir der Aufwand zu hoch wurde und ich mehr Stress hatte als schön war. In Sachen “Mental Health” war die Entscheidung damals genau richtig. Heute hätte ich allerdings Lust, das Format neu aufleben zu lassen, vielleicht mit ein paar Abwandlungen - auch thematisch/strukturell. Falls es euch interessiert oder ihr neugierig geworden seid: Schaut euch gerne meinen Kanal auf YouTube an. Da findet ihr auch Trailer zu meinen Romanen sowie eine Mini-Lesung zum zuletzt erschienenen Werk “Das Leuchten deiner Seele” (Elfen 1).

Buchliebe: Lesestoff im Juni

*unbeauftragte Werbung wegen Titel- und Autorennennung*

Das Lesen kam in den letzten Monaten gefühlt viel zu kurz bei mir, weil ich verstärkt K-Dramas und dergleichen geschaut habe. *lol* Das ändert sich ein bisschen. Aktuell lese bzw. höre ich mehrere Bücher. Diese plane ich in diesem Monat zu beenden:

Jojo Moyes: Wie ein Leuchten in tiefer Nacht (Printausgabe)

Robert Louis Stevenson: Treasure Island (Printausgabe)

Sarah J. Maas: Das Reich der sieben Höfe, Band 3 (Hörbuch)

Bianca Iosivoni: Finding Back to Us (Hörbuch)

David Denby: Große Bücher (Printausgabe - evtl. breche ich es ab, weil es mich nur geringfügig begeistert)

Daneben würde ich gerne mit dem Hörbuch “Dunkelgrün fast Schwarz” von Mareike Fallwickl beginnen und von Bianca Iosivoni “Sturmtochter 3″ endlich lesen. Aber da muss ich mal schauen, wie weit ich mit den anderen vorankomme. Zu viele Bücher möchte ich nämlich auch nicht parallel lesen, lol.

Wie handhabt ihr euren SuB (Stapel ungelesener Bücher)? Lest ihr die Bücher parallel oder eins nach dem anderen? Habt ihr Pläne für den kommenden Monat? Oder geht ihr den Frühsommer gechillt an?

[fantastykadlakazdego]

Zapowiedź: Księżycowe Miasto cz. I - Sarah J. Maas +fragment

Tytuł: Księżycowe Miasto. Dom Ziemi i Krwi cz.1

Autor: Sarah J. Maas

Tytuł oryginalny: Crescent City 1. House of Earth and Blood

Tłumacz: Marcin Mortka

Oprawa: miękka za skrzydełkami

Wydanie: 1

Liczba stron: 560

Cena: 39,99 zł

Data premiery: 20 maja 2020 r.

Wydawnictwo: Uroboros

Opis:

Bryce Quinlan kocha swoje życie. W dzień pracuje w galerii z antykami, sprzedając nie do końca legalne magiczne artefakty, a nocą imprezuje razem z przyjaciółmi, delektując się każdą przyjemnością, jaką Lunathion, znane również jako Księżycowe Miasto, ma do zaoferowania. Gdy dochodzi do bezwzględnego morderstwa, wszystko zaczyna się rozpadać – również jej świat. Mimo że oskarżony ląduje za kratami, zbrodnie zaczynają się na nowo, a Bryce trafia w centrum dochodzenia. Zrobi wszystko, aby pomścić śmierć przyjaciół.

Biogram autorki:

Sarah J. Maas zaczęła pisać swoją pierwszą powieść, Szklany tron, w wieku szesnastu lat. Po napisaniu kilku rozdziałów historii na FictionPress.com okazało się, że jej praca jest jedną z najpopularniejszych. Wykasowała ją, mając zamiar spróbować wydać swoją powieść. Jej debiut opiera się na baśni o Kopciuszku. Maas zadała sobie pytania: co by było, gdyby Kopciuszek był zabójcą, a nie sługą? Co, gdyby nie uczestniczyła w balu aby spotkać księcia, a po to, by go zabić?

W 2008 autorka zaczęła wysyłać swoją historię do agentów, którego znalazła w 2009. Szklany tron trafił do wydawnictwa Bloomsbury w marcu 2010, które następnie wykupiło prawa do dwóch kolejnych książek z serii. Historia trafiła do piętnastu krajów i została przetłumaczona na dwadzieścia trzy języki Zostały także opublikowane nowelki, których akcja dzieje się dwa lata przez pierwszym tomem. Drugi tom serii, Korona w mroku, została uznana za bestseller New York Timesa. W 2015 ogłosiła, że Mark Gordon Company wykupiła prawa do telewizyjnej ekranizacji Szklanego tronu. Ostatnia część serii została wydana w 2018 r.

Dwór cierni i róż, druga z serii Maas, jest luźno oparta na Pięknej i Bestii. Początek historii został napisany w 2009, ale nie został opublikowany do 2015. Pojawiają się informacje, że ma również pojawić się jej ekranizacja.

16 maja 2018 autorka ogłosiła, że stworzy trzecią serię, która tym samym będzie jej pierwszą powieścią fantasy dla dorosłych. Ma nazywać się Cresent City.

Fragment :

Księżycowe Miasto

Dom Ziemi i Krwi

Część 1, Rozdział 1

 Przed drzwiami galerii czekała wilczyca, co oznaczało, że był czwartek. To z kolei oznaczało, że Bryce była potwornie zmęczona, skoro ustalała upływ dni tygodnia na podstawie obecności lub nieobecności Daniki.

Ciężkie metalowe drzwi Griffin Antiquities zadrżały od uderzeń pięści wilczycy. Bryce dobrze znała te dłonie i wiedziała, że pomalowane na metaliczny fiolet paznokcie rozpaczliwie domagają się manicure. Chwilę później rozległ się ostry głos kobiecy, przytłumiony przez stal:

– Na Hel, otwieraj, B.! Ja pieprzę, jak tu gorąco!

Bryce, która siedziała przy biurku w skromnym salonie pokazowym galerii, uśmiechnęła się i wywołała obraz z kamer przed wejściem. Założywszy kosmyk czerwonych niczym wino włosów za szpiczasto zakończone ucho, powiedziała do interkomu:

– Czemu jesteś taka brudna! Wyglądasz, jakbyś przetrząsała kontener ze śmieciami!

– Co ty pierdzielisz? Że co niby robiłam? – Danika podskakiwała to na jednej nodze, to na drugiej. Jej czoło lśniło potem. Przetarła je brudną ręką, rozmazując krople czarnej cieczy.

– Przetrząsała. Zrozumiałabyś mnie, gdybyś kiedykolwiek wzięła książkę do ręki – powiedziała uśmiechnięta Bryce i wstała od biurka. Cieszyła się z przerwy w badaniach, które zapowiadały się nużąco.

Galeria nie miała okien, złożony system kamer stanowił jedyny sposób na sprawdzenie, kto stoi na zewnątrz. Dzięki dziedzictwu Fae Bryce dysponowała znakomitym słuchem, ale nie była w stanie usłyszeć wiele z tego, co się działo za żelaznymi drzwiami – poza waleniem pięściami. Nagie, pozbawione wszelkich dekoracji ściany z piaskowca kryły najnowszą technologię oraz znakomitą magię, która podtrzymywała działanie galerii oraz chroniła wiele książek przechowywanych w archiwum pod powierzchnią ziemi.

– Czy to Danika? – odezwał się kobiecy głos zza grubych na sześć cali drzwi do archiwum.

„Zupełnie jakbym przywołała ją samym myśleniem o piętrach pod moimi obcasami” – pomyślała Bryce.

– Tak, Lehabah. – Bryce położyła dłoń na klamce frontowych drzwi.

Wpojone w nią zaklęcia zadrżały pod jej dłonią i oplotły jej piegowatą, złocistą skórę niczym strużki dymu. Dziewczyna zacisnęła zęby i wytrzymała nieprzyjemne doznanie, do którego nadal nie mogła się przyzwyczaić, choć pracowała w galerii od roku.

– Jesiba nie lubi, gdy ona tu przychodzi – ostrzegła ją Lehabah, nadal zasłonięta pozornie prostymi drzwiami z metalu.

– To ty tego nie lubisz! – poprawiła ją Bryce i zmrużyła bursztynowe oczy, wpatrzona w drzwi do archiwum. Wiedziała, że po drugiej stronie unosi się niewielka ognista zjawa, podsłuchując, jak zawsze, gdy ktoś przychodził. – Lepiej wracaj do pracy.

Lehabah nie odpowiedziała, co oznaczało, że przypuszczalnie odpłynęła w dół, by strzec ksiąg na niższych piętrach.

Bryce wywróciła oczami i szarpnięciem otworzyła frontowe drzwi. W jej twarz uderzyło powietrze tak gorące i suche, że wręcz groziło wyssaniem z niej życia. A lato dopiero co się zaczęło.

Danika nie tylko wyglądała, jakby przetrząsnęła śmietnik, ale tak też śmierdziała. Kosmyki jej srebrzystych blond włosów, zazwyczaj prostych i jedwabistych, umykały z grubego, długiego warkocza. Pasemka ametystu, szafiru i różu upstrzone były plamami ciemnej, oleistej substancji, cuchnącej metalem i amoniakiem.

– Ale ty się grzebiesz – warknęła Danika i wkroczyła do galerii.

Miecz przytroczony do jej pleców podskakiwał z każdym krokiem. Warkocz wplótł się w starą, skórzaną rękojeść i gdy Danika zatrzymała się przed biurkiem, Bryce pozwoliła sobie go uwolnić. Chwilę później szczupłe palce Daniki odpięły rzemienie, którymi przymocowała broń do znoszonej kurtki motocyklowej.

– Muszę to zrzucić tu na kilka godzin – powiedziała i ruszyła z mieczem w ręku do kantorku, ukrytego za drewnianą ścianką działową.

Bryce oparła się o krawędź biurka i założyła ramiona na piersiach. Jej palce musnęły czarny materiał obcisłej sukienki.

– Twoja torba z rzeczami na siłownię wystarczająco już tam nasmrodziła – rzekła. – Jesiba wraca dziś po południu. Wywali twój bajzel do śmieci, jeśli się na niego natknie.

Było to chyba najmniejsze z zagrożeń, jakie czekało tego, kto sprowokuje Jesibę Rogę. Licząca sobie ponad czterysta lat czarodziejka przyszła na świat jako wiedźma, ale uciekła i wstąpiła do Domu Płomienia i Cienia, a obecnie odpowiadała jedynie przed samym Podziemnym Królem. Dom Płomienia i Cienia bardzo jej odpowiadał – opanowała arsenał czarów, dzięki czemu mogła stawić czoła każdemu czarodziejowi czy nekromancie w najmroczniejszym z Domów. Mówiono o niej, że doprowadzona do wściekłości zamieniała ludzi w zwierzęta. Bryce nigdy nie zdobyła się na to, by spytać, czy drobne zwierzęta żyjące w dziesiątkach akwariów i terrariów zawsze były zwierzętami. Starała się też nigdy nie wkurzać Jesiby, bo Wanom łatwo się było narazić. Nawet najmniej potężny z Wanów, grupy, do której zaliczały się wszystkie istoty żyjące na Midgardzie poza ludźmi i zwykłymi zwierzętami, mógł okazać się zabójczym przeciwnikiem.

– Później wszystko zabiorę – obiecała Danika i ruszyła w stronę wejścia do kantorka. Nacisnęła ukryty przycisk, by go otworzyć.

Bryce trzykrotnie ją ostrzegała, że kantorek salonu wystawowego nie jest jej osobistym schowkiem, ale Danika zawsze odpowiadała, że z galerii, leżącej w samym środku Starego Rynku, wszędzie ma bliżej niż z Nory wilków w Lunaborze. I na tym się kończyło.

Drzwi się otworzyły, a Danika zamachała dłonią na wysokości nosa.

– To moja torba zasmradza to miejsce? – spytała i czarnym butem popchnęła worek, w którym Bryce trzymała swój strój do tańca, obecnie wepchnięty między mopa i wiadro. – Kiedy ty, kurwa, ostatni raz prałaś te szmaty?

Bryce zmarszczyła nos, gdy i do niej dotarł smród starych butów i przepoconej odzieży. Rzeczywiście, dwa dni temu zapomniała zabrać trykot i rajstopy do domu po popołudniowym treningu, ale winę za to ponosiła Danika, która przesłała jej wiadomość wideo. Bryce ujrzała w niej stosik radochny na blacie kuchennym i usłyszała muzykę dudniącą z głośników. Podpis do filmiku nakazywał jej szybki powrót do domu, a Bryce nie wahała się ani chwili.

Wypaliły tyle radochny, że Bryce właściwie mogła nadal być na haju, gdy wczoraj rano wtoczyła się do pracy. Właściwie nie istniało żadne inne wyjaśnienie, dlaczego napisanie maila składającego się z dwóch zdań zajęło jej dziesięć minut. Litera po literze.

– Dobra, dobra – powiedziała. – Musimy o czymś pogadać.

Danika przestawiała przedmioty w schowku, by zrobić miejsce dla swoich rzeczy.

– Już cię przeprosiłam za zjedzenie reszty twoich klusek. Odkupię ci je dziś.

– Nie o to mi chodziło, ale skoro mi przypomniałaś, to ujmę to tak: wal się. Pozbawiłaś mnie lunchu.

Danika zachichotała.

– Chodzi o ten tatuaż! – poskarżyła się Bryce. – Boli, jakby mnie demon z Hel podrapał! Nie mogę się nawet oprzeć o krzesło!

– Tatuażysta ostrzegał, że będzie piekło przez parę dni! – odparła Danika śpiewnym głosem.

– Byłam tak nawalona, że zrobiłam błąd ortograficzny we własnym imieniu, gdy podpisywałyśmy papiery! Nie sądzisz chyba, że w moim stanie mogłam zrozumieć, co oznacza: „będzie piekło przez parę dni”.

Danika, która zafundowała sobie pasujący tatuaż na plecach, nie narzekała, bo jej już się zdążył zagoić. Jedną z przewag Wanów pełnej krwi była szybka regeneracja wszelakich obrażeń w porównaniu z ludźmi lub półludźmi jak Bryce.

Danika upchnęła miecz w bałaganie kantorka.

– Obiecuję, że wieczorem pomogę ci obłożyć plecy lodem. Daj mi tylko się tu wykąpać – poprosiła.

Nieraz się zdarzało, że wpadała do galerii, zwłaszcza w czwartki, kiedy jej poranny patrol kończył się kilka ulic dalej, ale jak dotąd nigdy nie korzystała z łazienki w podziemiach archiwum.

Bryce wskazała brud i smar na jej ciele.

– Co ty masz na sobie? – spytała.

Danika skrzywiła się, a plamy zasychające na jej skórze zaczęły pękać.

– Musiałam przerwać bójkę między satyrem a nocnym węszakiem – oznajmiła i obnażyła białe kły, patrząc na czarną substancję na dłoniach. – Zgadnij, który obrzygał mnie swoimi sokami.

Bryce parsknęła i wskazała jej drzwi do archiwum.

– Prysznic jest twój. W najniższej szufladzie znajdziesz czyste ubrania.

Danika położyła brudną dłoń na klamce drzwi. Zacisnęła zęby, a starszy tatuaż na jej karku – szczerzący kły, rogaty wilk, będący znakiem Watahy Diabłów – zadrżał z napięcia. Bryce, widząc nagle zesztywniałe plecy przyjaciółki, uświadomiła sobie, że powodem nie jest wysiłek. Zerknęła na kantorek, którego drzwi nadal stały otworem. Miecz Daniki, otoczony sławą nie tylko w mieście, ale także daleko poza jego granicami, stał wsparty o ścianę między miotłą a mopem. Jego starożytna, skórzana pochwa była niemal zasłonięta przez pełen kanister benzyny, używanej do uruchomienia elektrycznego generatora. Bryce często się zastanawiała, po co Jesibie starodawny generator, ale jej wątpliwości rozwiała awaria elektrowni brzaskowej w ubiegłym tygodniu. Po tym jak siadło zasilanie, stary spalinowy generator umożliwił funkcjonowanie mechanicznych zamków i zapobiegł splądrowaniu galerii, gdy bandy mętów z Mięsnego Rynku otoczyły budynek i rozpoczęły bombardowanie wejścia kontrzaklęciami. Ale…

Bryce zaczęła łączyć fakty. Miecz Daniki zostawiony w biurze. Danika, która musi się wykąpać. Sztywne plecy przyjaciółki.

– Masz spotkanie z Władcami?

Od chwili gdy się poznały pięć lat temu na pierwszym roku Uniwersytetu Księżycowego Miasta, Bryce na palcach jednej ręki mogła policzyć sytuacje, w których Danika została wezwana na spotkanie z siedmiorgiem na tyle ważnych osób, że musiała na tę okazję wziąć prysznic i się przebrać. Nawet podczas składania meldunków dziadkowi, Pierwszemu wśród valbarańskich Wilków, oraz Sabine, własnej matce, Danika zazwyczaj miała na sobie skórzaną kurtkę, dżinsy i jakiś T-shirt ze starym zespołem, który akurat nadawał się do założenia. Oczywiście Sabine, alfę Watahy Księżycowego Sierpa i przywódczynię oddziałów zmiennokształtnych w Siłach Porządkowych miasta, doprowadzało to do szału, ale z drugiej strony denerwowało ją dosłownie wszystko, co miało związek z jej córką oraz z Bryce. Nie miał znaczenia fakt, że Sabine od wieków była Dziedziczką Tytułu i po śmierci starzejącego się ojca miała przejąć jego stanowisko. Nie miało znaczenia również to, że Danika była oficjalnie jej następczynią. Sytuację zaogniły bowiem przekazywane szeptem plotki, że to Danika powinna zostać Dziedziczką Tytułu i wyprzedzić matkę w hierarchii. Co gorsza, stary wilk przekazał wnuczce swój stanowiący rodowe dziedzictwo miecz, choć wiele stuleci temu obiecał Sabine, że to ona odziedziczy go po jego śmierci. Starzec wytłumaczył nieoczekiwaną decyzję tym, że broń przemówiła do Daniki w dniu jej osiemnastych urodzin, wyjąc niczym wilk podczas pełni. Sabine nigdy nie zapomniała tego upokorzenia, tym bardziej że Danika nigdy się z mieczem nie rozstawała i chętnie z nim paradowała na oczach matki.

Teraz stała i wpatrywała się w głąb korytarza ze sklepionym sufitem. Kryte zielonym dywanem stopnie prowadziły do pomieszczeń pod galerią, gdzie spoczywał prawdziwy skarb tego miejsca, strzeżony dzień i noc przez Lehabah. Z tego właśnie powodu Danika, która studiowała historię na UKM, lubiła tu wpadać tak często i oglądać starożytne dzieła sztuki oraz księgi, choć Bryce nieustannie natrząsała się z jej czytelniczych zwyczajów.

Naraz Danika odwróciła się i przymknęła karmelowe oczy.

– Dziś wypuszczają Philipa Briggsa.

Bryce zamarła.

– Co?

– Wypuszczają go z powodu jakiejś cholernej przeszkody prawnej. Ktoś spartaczył robotę papierkową. Na spotkaniu mamy usłyszeć pełen raport. – Zacisnęła wąskie szczęki. Światło lamp brzaskowych nad schodami odbijało się od jej brudnych włosów.

– Ależ to popieprzone. – Bryce poczuła, jak przewraca jej się w żołądku.

[roswind]

10 favourites challenge

10 favourites from 10 different pieces of media

1. Vilho Koskela (Tuntematon sotilas)

2. Tuutikki (Muumit)

3. Akseli Koskela (Täällä Pohjantähden alla)

4. 12th doctor (Doctor Who)

5. Charlotte Ritter (Babylon Berlin) 

6. Sofia Karppi (Karppi)

7. Victoria (Victoria) 

8. Sarah Adams (A place to call home) 

9. Henrik Hanssen (Holby City)

10. Anni (Oma maa) 

+ Eino (Hiljaisuus)

Kiitos tägistä @mikaroyhkeys ja @hanhan156

@trevardes @turinametsa @maolintappoase @kukkopalju

[szklanydwormaas]

"Który charakter" cz.1 Wywiad z Sarah J Maas

P: Z którą postacią chciałabyś się udać na book tour?

S: Myślę, że z Dorianem. On jest uprzejmy, kocha czytać, kocha jeść, cieszy się pięknymi rzeczami w życiu. Jest po prostu miłym facetem. Byłby też bardzo wyrozumiały, zrozumiałby, że potrzebuję 2 godzin żeby wziąć prysznic, zrobić makijaż, wysuszyć włosy. Nie byłby poirytowany, nie poganiał by mnie. Byłby jak "Okej. Wyluzujmy, napijemy się szampana zanim wyjdziemy. Byłby bardzo kulturalny, elegancki. Z chęcią bym z nim podróżowała. Za to Rowan mówiłby "Chodźmy! To za długo trwa. Przestań suszyć te włosy" A ja reagowałabym "Okeeej, jesteś naprawdę gorący ale boję się twojej wojskowej fryzury". Myślę też, że Rhys z Acotar również byłby dobrym towarzyszem podróży. Rozpraszały swoim dobrym wyglądem a ja nie myślałabym o autografach, ale o tym, że spędzam czas z pięknym, olśniewająco wyglądającym mężczyzną.... Haha jestem taka straszna mówiąc o bohaterach.

P: Z kim poszłabyś na koncert?

S: Fajnie byłoby iść z Celaeną, ona kocha muzykę. Z Aedionem też byłoby zabawnie, musiałabym go trochę uspokajać. Dorian to z kolei taki bohater, z którym mogłabym iść do opery, a on znałby całą jej historię. Byłby miły i kulturalny. Rhys też. Rhys I Dorian cieszą się pięknymi rzeczami w życiu. Poszliby ze mną na balet. Kocham balet, a oni z radością poszliby ze mną. Jeśli chodzi o innych.. cóż, nie widzę Tamlina na balecie. Nigdy. Ale myślę, że wszyscy moi bohaterowie lubią muzykę. Gdyby nie lubili... to byłoby jak znak ostrzegawczy. Jeśli pojawia się u mnie nowa postać i nie lubi muzyki to znaczy, że jest zła haha. Ponieważ muzyka jest ogromną częścią mojego codziennego życia. Zawsze mam włączoną muzykę: gdy gotuję, gdy sprzątam lub po prostu siedzę. Kocham muzykę. Różne rodzaje. Kiedy piszę, często słucham muzyki klasycznej. Muzyka inspiruje 90% tego co piszę.

Luźne tłumaczenie Sandra Knurowska

[darkness-between-stars-blog]

Dorian: I'm going to be a king someday. My best friend is Chaol. I like puppies and reading. I'm going to live out a semi-boring life as a king with books, puppies and maybe someday a wife and kids.

Aelin: Hows it going?

*everything goes to the hell it was destined for*

Dorian: ...