Poison Study Quotes

“Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath in my ear sent a shiver down my spine.

"But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

“That sounds more like a poison than a person,” was all I could say. His confession had both shocked and thrilled me.

“Exactly,” Valek replied. “You have poisoned me.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Everyone makes choices in life. Some bad, some good. It's called living, and if you want to bow out, then go right ahead. But don't do it halfway. Don't linger in whiner's limbo.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Trusting is hard. Knowing who to trust, even harder.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“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.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“But you've slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Poisoned, pursued and living with a psychopath. Not what I would consider the good life. Death has its perks.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“In fact, he's never taken an interest in a woman before. I was beginning to to suspect he might prefer one of his male sneaks, but now..." She paused dramatically. "Now, we have the lovely, intelligent Yelena to get Valek's cold heart pumping."

"You really should get out of your sewing room more. You need fresh air and a dose of reality," I said knowing better than to believe a word Dilana said, but unable to control the silly little grin on my face.

Her sweet, melodious laughter followed me into the hallway.
"You know I'm right, " she called.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Out of nowhere, Valek appeared before me, yelling in my ear, shaking my shoulders. Stupidly, belatedly, I realized he was the drunk. Who else but Valek could win a fight against four large men when armed only with a beer mug?”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“An execution order hasn’t kept us apart before. There are ways to get around it. We will be together.”

“Is that an order?”

“No, a promise.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Let's go. We're supposed to rendezvous with the Captain at the lake. Oh, and try to keep the noise down. You sound like a panicked moose crashing through the woods," the smarter man chided.

"Oh yeah. Like you could hear me over your specially trained 'woodland-animal footsteps,'" Rough Voice countered. "It was like listening to two deer humping each other.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I didn't expect a knife, though. Is it the one missing from the kitchen?"

"Did Rand report it?" I felt betrayed. Why hadn't he just asked for it back?

"No. It just makes sense to keep track of large kitchen knives, so when one goes missing you're not surprised when someone attacks you with it.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“The uniform enhanced his athletic body, and my thoughts drifted to how magnificent he would look with his uniform puddled around his feet.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I want you to have this.” He extended his hand. On his palm sat the beautiful butterfly he had carved. Silver spots on the wings glinted in the sunlight, and a silver chain hung from a small hole drilled into its body.
Valek looped the necklace around my neck. “When I carved this statue, I was thinking about you. Delicate in appearance, but with a strength unnoticed at first glance.” His eyes met mine.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you...but you slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“One, and two, and three, four, five. Keep fighting like this and you will die," Janco sang.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Yelena.” I halted in the doorway, looking back over my shoulder.
“You once said I wasn’t ready to believe your reason for killing Reyad. I’ll believe you now.”
“But I’m not ready to tell you,” I said and left the room.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I didn’t want or expect this. But I couldn’t resist you.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“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.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“You put on such a brave front. But I know if I took another step toward you, you'd wet your pants.'

'With your blood.' I brandished my knife. But I couldn't keep a straight face; the boast sounded ridiculous even to my own ears. I snickered. She laughed. The release of tension made me giddy, and soon I was laughing and crying.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“It's a dirty way to fight, but I'm late for lunch."
- Valek to Yelena”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I hate a mystery. I would have let the identity of the Commander’s successor remain a secret, as I have for fifteen years, but tonight’s opportunity was too tempting. With eight drunken Generals sleeping it off, I could have danced on their beds without waking them."
- Valek”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I peered deeper and found my soul. A little tattered and with some holes, but there all the same. It had always been there, I realized with shock.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Back so soon?" he asked. "Too bad. I was just about to organize a search for your dead body. What happened when you knocked on the southerner magician's door to sacrifice yourself? Did they kick you out, thinking you too half-witted to waste their time on?”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“Well, Valek, any new promotions?” the Commander asked
“No. But Maren shows promise. Unfortunately she doesn’t want to be in my corps or even be my second.She just wants to beat me.” Valek grinned, delighted by the challenge.
“And can she?” the Commander inquired. His eyebrows rose.
“With time and the proper training. She’s deadly with her bow; it’s just her tactics that need work.”
“Then what do we do with her?”
“Promote her to General and retire some of those old wind-bags. We could use some fresh blood in the upper ranks.”
“Valek, you never had a good grasp of military structure.”
“Then promote her to First Lieutenant today, Captain tomorrow, Major the next day, Colonel the day after, and General the day after that.”
“I’ll take it under advisement.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“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.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I balled my hands into tight fists to keep them from wrapping around Mr. I-Know-Everything's superior neck.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“His movements were so graceful that I wondered if he had been a dancer, but his words betrayed to me that his fluid gestures were those of a trained killer.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study

“I am not a fool.”
― Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study