Trust, Kiki said, Trust is peppermints.

Valek leaned back in his chair and said to me, “I don’t think I would have made it past the audition,Yelena. I probably would have set my hair on fire by this point.” “What’s a singed head for the sake of art?” I teased. He laughed.

Knowing and believing are sometimes hard to combine.

I balled my hands into tight fists to keep them from wrapping around Mr. I-Know-Everything's superior neck.

Sorry. An overdeveloped nurturing instinct comes with being a healer.

Besides, thinking kind thoughts about Valek could be extremely dangerous. I could admire his skills, and be relieved when he was on my side in a fight. But for a rat to like the cat? That scenario ended only one way. With one dead rat.

I'm glad you're here. We've had some...interesting developments." Leif groaned. "That's Yelena-speak for life-threatening danger.