Mara Fitzgerald

A dark, queer YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of the Three Dark Crowns series and Wicked Saints. After Emanuela Ragno kills the one person in Occhia who can create water, she must find a way to save her city from dying of thirst. Emanuela Ragno always gets what she wants. With her daring mind and socialite schemes, she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. In her most ambitious move yet, she's about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn't care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn't want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she'll have it all. But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She's kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years. When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back . . . and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea's magic and find a way to save their people -- no matter what it takes.

Beyond the Ruby Veil

as if anyone is really staring at him when they have the option to stare at me.

His fingers are trembling and clammy, so maybe he won’t notice that mine are, too.

 I don’t even know what I’m going to do. I just know that if she’s going to hurt us, I’m going to hurt her.

”Look at her now, and then tell me—who’s really untouchable?”

“I’m not going to die,” I said. “Do you know why?”

I don’t want to struggle for normal. I want to look better than everyone else.

There are six other cities, and no one in them knows my name.

“I don’t care if people love me, or if they think what I do is 

. But rest assured, they’re going to know I was here.”

“So all you care about is whether or not you come out on top,” she says.

I shrug. “It’s where I deserve to be.”

If magic can be chosen, I want to choose the most powerful magic there is.

Beyond the Ruby Veil quotes

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