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“What was the wager?” “That death would win over love.” “Whom did you make the bet with?” “Love herself. Be glad you didn’t tangle with her, my dear. She’s merciless. An utter savage.” “More so than you?” asked Belle bitterly. The countess tilted her head. She lifted the glass heart the Beast had given Belle, smiled, and let it drop again. “You understand so little,child,” she said. “To love, to truly love another—that is not for the faint of heart. Why, I’ve seen a husband mop the brow of his plague-ridden wife, heedless of his own safety. I’ve seen a murderer’s mother weep at the gallows, and a starving boy give his last crust of bread to his sister. Love is so strong, so ferocious, that she frightens even me. Me, Belle. A woman who strolls through battlefields and sick houses. Who takes tea with executioners.” — Jennifer Donnelly