101
" It was said Adrian angered Dis, goddess of spirit, and as a result, she cursed him to crave blood. Her curse spread—some humans survived the transformation to vampire while others did not. Since their incarnation, the world had not known peace. Their presence had bred other monsters—all kinds that fed on blood, on life. While I had never known anything different, our elders did. They remembered a world without high walls and gates around every village. They remembered what it was like not to fear wandering beneath the stars as darkness fell. I did not fear the dark. I did not fear the monsters. I did not even fear the Blood King. But I did fear for my father, for my people, for my culture. Because Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev was inevitable. "
― Scarlett St. Clair , King of Battle and Blood (Adrian x Isolde, #1)
103
" An alarm sounded in my head as he spoke. And as he stepped toward me, I suddenly regained my ability to move. I drove my hand toward his stomach, releasing my knife, but his hand clamped down upon my wrist. He yanked me forward, his body pressing into mine, despite my wound, despite the blood. He bent over me, grasping my head, fingers digging into my scalp, and for a moment, I feared that he would either kiss me or break my neck. Instead, he gripped me harder, eyes never leaving mine, thumb brushing my lips. "
― Scarlett St. Clair , King of Battle and Blood (Adrian x Isolde, #1)
104
" Then he bent, and his tongue swept across the wound on my chest. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t speak. The worst part was that this felt good. It felt possessive and immoral, and I found myself no longer trying to stab him but clinging to him as he worked. When he drew away, his full lips were stained with my blood. He swallowed, and his eyes gleamed as he studied my eyes, my lips, my throat. The stare ignited something deep inside me, and the fire spread, making me ache. I was ashamed, because I knew this man was a soldier for the Blood King, a vampire. "
― Scarlett St. Clair , King of Battle and Blood (Adrian x Isolde, #1)