“under his dripping hair, he was as white as parchment, his hands clenched at his sides so tightly that they were shaking. It seemed clear that some terrible turmoil was ripping him apart from the inside out.”

“He wished he could rip out his heart, his innards, everything that was screaming inside him...”

“He was done with politics and intrigue. He loved her, and no empire, no king, and no earthly fear would keep him from her. No, if they tried to take her from him, he'd rip the world apart with his bare hands. And for some reason, that didn't terrify him.”

“He yearned not to feel... He wished he could rip out his heart, his innards, everything that was screaming inside him...”

“Nik gripped his fork so tightly his knuckles turned white. His temper flared up like a beast inside him, clawing at the walls of its fleshy prison.”

“I kicked off my shoes and pulled his hand away from the wheel so I could straddle his lap and hold him. His grip on me was excruciatingly tight, but I didn't complain. We were on an insanely busy street, with endless cars rumbling past on one side and a crush of pedestrians on the other, but neither of us cared. He was shaking violently, as if he were sobbing uncontrollably, but he made no sound and shed no tears.The sky cried for him, the rain coming down hard and angry, steaming off the ground.”