“Aware of every breath, every movement, I sat in his lap. His hands gently braced my hips as I studied his face. “And now I want you to know, Rhysand, that I love you. I want you to know … ” His lips trembled, and I brushed away the tear that escaped down his cheek. “I want you to know,” I whispered, “that I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belongs to you. And I am honored—honored to be your mate.”His arms wrapped around me and he pressed his forehead to my shoulder, his body shaking. I stroked a hand through his silken hair.“I love you,” I said again. I hadn’t dared say the words in my head. “And I’d endure every second of it over again so I could find you. And if war comes, we’ll face it. Together. I won’t let them take me from you. And I won’t let them take you from me, either.”Rhys looked up, his face gleaming with tears. He went still as I leaned in, kissing away one tear. Then the other. As he had once kissed away mine.When my lips were wet and salty with them, I pulled back far enough to see his eyes. “You’re mine,” I breathed.”

“Aware of every breath, every movement, I sat in his lap. His hands gently braced my hips as I studied his face. “And now I want you to know, Rhysand, that I love you. I want you to know … ” His lips trembled, and I brushed away the tear that escaped down his cheek. “I want you to know,” I whispered, “that I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belongs to you. And I am honored—honored to be your mate.”His arms wrapped around me and he pressed his forehead to my shoulder, his body shaking. I stroked a hand through his silken hair.“I love you,” I said again. I hadn’t dared say the words in my head. “And I’d endure every second of it over again so I could find you. And if war comes, we’ll face it. Together. I won’t let them take me from you. And I won’t let them take you from me, either.”Rhys looked up, his face gleaming with tears. He went still as I leaned in, kissing away one tear. Then the other. As he had once kissed away mine.When my lips were wet and salty with them, I pulled back far enough to see his eyes. “You’re mine,” I breathed.”

“We each survive in our own way.”

“Sometimes, the wicked will tell us things just to confuse us–to haunt our thoughts long after we've faced them.”

“Libraries were full of ideas—perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”

“She didn't fear the night, though she found little comfort in its dark hours.”

“I didn’t think saying good-bye would be so hard. And with everything that’s to come—We’ll face it together. To whatever end.”

“What we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength.”

“She wouldn't ask. Didn't want to know what manner of thing might crawl toward a fire.”

“And if I asked for the moon on a string?" - Sorsha”

“We need hope, or else we cannot endure.”

“Wrong kind of witch." - Manon Blackbeak”