“They actually think I would abandon the Commander. they have no concept of loyalty.”

“I understood that Valek’s loyalty to the Commander was without question. His blue eyes held a fierce determination and I knew in my soul that Valek would take his own life after he had taken mine.”

“(...) I pushed his sword arm down, and stood next to Valek. Out eyes met. I understood that Valek's loyalty to the Commander was without question. His blue eyes held a fierce determination and I knew in my soul that Valek would take his own life after he had taken mine.”

“What have I earned from you, Valek? Loyalty? Respect? Trust?""You have my attention. But give me what I want, and you can have everything.”

“Anything else you want to tell me?” I asked Valek as we stopped a few feet short of the castle’s south entrance. “Did Ari and Janco set me up for Nix’s attack? Do you have another test of loyalty for me up your sleeve? Maybe the next time, I’ll actually fail. A prospect that seems appealing!” I pushed away Valek’s supporting arm. “When you warned me that you would test me from time to time, I thought you meant spiking my food. But it seems there is more than one way to poison a person’s heart, and it doesn’t even require a meal.”

“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.”

“I'd wish you luck, but I don't think it would help.''Why not?''My lady, you make your own luck.”