The problem with wanting," he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, "is that it makes us weak.

The Darkling slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.

You live in a single moment. I live in a thousand.

I've been waiting for you a long time, Alina" He said. "You and I are going to change the world.

He leaned against the window, and the gilded frame came into sharp focus. “Do you think it would be any different with your tracker beside you? With that Lantsov pup?”
“Yes,” I said simply.
“Because you would be the strong one?”
“Because they’re better men than you.”
“You might make me a better man.”
“And you might make me a monster.

In this moment he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.