We’re now exactly 1 week away from the release of Cassandra Clare’s QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS, and we’re not ready!
The past two weeks flew by as they usually do during the holiday season, so we’ve decided to put together all the snippets that have been posted by Cassandra since then, including today’s emotional one, and present them in one big post. If you think you’re ready for Queen of Air and Darkness, maybe read over these to find out if you really are by the way you handle them.
“There is fire inside, and as it blazes, it burns, and the burning causes pain—but without its light, I cannot see to draw.”
Jaime breathed against him, low irregular breaths; his eyes were closed. Some of Diego’s earliest memories were of holding his brother. When he was six and Jaime was three, he had carried him everywhere. He’d been afraid that otherwise Jaime, toddling around on his short little legs, would miss out on all the things in the world Diego wanted him to see.
It was her, the strange human girl he’d once seen in the Unseelie weapons room. Dark hair, eyes the color of the sky. A murder of crows circled behind her. Not a photograph, but a drawing, done with a wistful hand, a sense of love and longing emanating from the page. A name was scribbled in a corner: Drusilla Blackthorn.
“And I want to with you,” Mark said, his eyes softening. “But do you have the rune?”
The rune.
The birth control rune. Cristina had never put it on; she’d never thought she was that close to needing it. “Oh, no,” she said. “My stele is down in the Institute.”
“Mine as well,” he said. Cristina almost giggled at the disappointed look on his face. “Still,” he said, brightening. “There is much else I can do to make you feel good. Allow me?”
“Watch over Tiberius. There are many ways to be endangered by magic.”
“Kier,” Mark said, and he saw Kieran shiver at the use of the old nickname. “Today you stood up and offered all your powers as a prince and faerie to save my family. How can you not know how I feel?”
Kieran was staring at his own hand, where it hovered at the edge of Mark’s shirt collar… Mark’s arms hooked around Kieran’s neck, drawing him down into a kiss.
“Annabel,” said the King. “Ash. I have had this day some interesting tidings.”
“Oh, very well,” said the Queen, and in her eyes Emma saw an odd light of eagerness. Perhaps she was more desperate for the book than Emma had thought? “As a sign of my good faith, I will give you part of what I promised. I will tell you, Julian, how certain bonds might be broken. But I will not tell her.” She gestured at Emma. “That was not part of the bargain.”
Julian took a swig from the bottle. “I felt like I was being torn apart inside,” he said matter-of-factly. “To stand there and say those things about Livvy—to call that bastard monster ‘sir’—to keep from ripping Annabel limb from limb—”
“Do it now, then,” said a voice from the shadows. “Rip me apart, if you can.”
Dru wrinkled up her nose. “I have to be the bad guy?”
“Come on,” said Kit. “You’ll get to boss us around. Don’t tell me you won’t enjoy it a little bit.”
She grinned. “Yeah, probably. Okay, deal. I’ll see you there.”
Kit turned to unlock the door and let himself out. Then paused. Without looking at Dru, he said, “I’ve spent my whole life lying and tricking people. So why is it so hard for me to lie to this one person? To Ty?”
Diana sank back in her seat. Whatever had happened, she knew it was no fault of Kieran’s or the others’, but she could feel the mood of the crowd: stark horror. No one would want to hear a defense of them now.
“My God, what’s he going to do?” she whispered, half to herself. “What’s Horace going to do to Diego and the others?”
Adaon leaned his big hands on the back of a chair. “Why did you come here?” he said. “Why did you bring me this news?” He shook his head. “It is possible my father will spare him. He is well liked by the people.”
“You know your father will kill him for just that reason,” said Cristina. Her voice shook. “Before the Hunt no one in Kieran’s life ever loved or cared for him at all, save you. Are you really going to abandon him now?”
“The Blackthorns and that Emma wouldn’t dare say anything against us anyway,” said Zara. “We still hold their secret in the palms of our hands.” She touched Cortana’s hilt. “Besides, nothing of theirs will be theirs for much longer, not even the Institute.”
Zara was also a true believer, Manuel thought with some distaste. She was a stick and a bore and he had never believed Diego Rocio Rosales actually saw anything in her; on balance, he seemed to have turned out to be right. He suspected Diego had been punished as much for rejecting Zara as for helping some idiot faerie.
“Emma,” Julian whispered. “Your Marks . . .”
She shook her head, tears bitter in the back of her throat. “It’s done.”
There you have it. Were you able to make it through these snippets without freaking out? Well, if you were, then you’re ready. If you were not, we’re right there with you!
Queen of Air and Darkness comes out December 4th. Get your box of tissues ready.
Pre-order Queen of Air and Darkness:
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