Inabyssed > Inabyssed's Quotes

“Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, so she destroyed them all.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“The irony of life is that those who wear masks often tell us more truths than those with open faces.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“But true rulers are not born. We are made.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“We are drawn to stories,” he says in a soft voice, “and every scar carries one.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“In the silence, I sit alone on my throne and wait eagerly for all the satisfaction and triumph to hit me. I wait, and wait, and wait.

But it doesn't come.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“It is better to have an enemy who will fight you in an open field then a lover who will kill you in your sleep.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“What is the point of searching for love, when love is nothing but an illusion?”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Someday, when I am nothing but dust and wind, what tale will they tell about me? Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Why do you look?” I mutter.

I half expect Magiano to tease me, spitting back one of his sarcastic phrases. But he doesn’t smile. “We are drawn to stories," he says in a soft voice, “and every scar carries one.” He lifts a hand and places his palm gently against the ruined side of my face, covering the scar.

I look down, embarrassed now. Instinctively, I reach up to brush some of my hair over my face—only to remember that I no longer have long locks.

“Hiding it makes you more beautiful,” Magiano says. Then he takes his hand away, exposing my scar again. “But revealing it makes you you.” He nods at me. “So wear it proudly.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Why feel guilty for something that isn't your fault?
Because I loved him. And now he is gone.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Why can’t I be like that? Why can’t I be the father who just shrugs off the love of his daughter? Why can’t I be the Lead Inquisitor who enjoys watching his pleading victims burn at the stake? Why can’t I be the one who befriends a lonely, lost girl and then casts her out? Why can’t I be the one to strike first, to hit so early and with such fury that my enemies cower before they can ever think of turning on me? What is so great about being good?”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“They were the flash of light in a stormy sky, the fleeting darkness before dawn. Never have they existed before, nor shall they ever exist again.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“I looked into those eyes and I saw nothing. It was like staring straight into the Underworld. Like he aches to return to where he came from.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“And?” he murmurs.

“And . . . sapphire.” My voice fades into a whisper.

“For the angel of Joy.”

“Joy?” Magiano smiles, gently this time.

“Yes.” I look down, overwhelmed by sudden sadness.
“Because I can see so much of it in you.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Do I frighten you?" I ask softly.

He seems to think about that. After a while, he leans back and looks skyward. "I don't know," he replies. "But I do know that I may never meet another like you again.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“He cares for you, you know." Violetta turns her head briefly in the direction of the closed doors. "Magiano. I've seen him standing guard outside your door, making sure you aren't having another nightmare or an illusion.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“I have earned my revenge on everyone who hurt me. My father, who tortured me every day - I crushed his chest and his heart. Teren, sick and twisted and mad - I took away his beloved just as he took away mine. Raffaele, who betrayed and manipulated me - I seized control of the prince he loves, and I made sure he watched his prince destroy in my name.

And Violetta, darling, dearest sister who turned her back when I needed her the most. I cast her out. I finally said everything to her that I wanted to say.

I have hurt back.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Enzo inherited a throne. Giulietta relied on her royal blood. Queen Maeve rules Beldain because she was born to it.

But true rulers are not born. We are made.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Raffaele reaches Enzo. Flames still burn on Enzo's hands, but for some reason, he doesn't move to attack. Instead, he waits as Raffaele reaches up to curl a hand around the back of his neck, then pulls him close so that their foreheads touch. Tears streak Raffaele's face. Suddenly I remember how he had looked on the day he turned his back on me, the way he had closed his eyes when I begged him to let me stay. It is the same expression he wears now.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“I don't know why I pause to watch Raffaele. Perhaps I have always done so, so captivated am I by his beauty. Even now, in the midst of death and destruction, he moves with the grace of someone not of this world. His attention is focused entirely on Enzo. The sight breaks my heart, and a small, lost part of me sparks with light.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Magiano just shrugs. He studies me for a brief moment. What does he see? Then he utters a small laugh. "Just point me in the direction of the royal treasury, Your Majesty," he says, waving a hand in the air. He turns away as he speaks, but not before I catch a hint of sadness on his face. "Then you'll always know where to find me.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“I made mistakes. I trusted both too little and too much. But, by the gods, I tried so hard. I gave everything I had.

I have always done the best I could, and yet, somehow,it has never been enough. No one cared what I did. They always turned their backs on me.

Why can't I be like that?”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Enzo narrows his eyes. He moves as if to grab Raffaele's wrist with his burning hands, to burn him alive from the inside out.

"Don't," Raffaele whispers to Enzo. And even though Enzo's eyes stay black, Raffaele does not flinch away. He remains where he is, surrounded by fire.

Enzo's eyes flicker. He blinks at Raffaele, confused, and then lowers his face toward him. Raffaele leans forward, closes his eyes, and rests his head against Enzo's shoulder. I do not need to touch them to know that Raffaele's energy is coursing through Enzo now, healing and soothing, calming, pushing against the fury of his own.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Violetta's voice trembles. “Raffaele is saying that all of us, all Elites, are in danger.”

That we are doomed to be forever young.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“The irony of life is that those who wear masks often tell us more truths than those with open faces.
—Masquerade, by Salvatore Laccona”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“I'm thinking about Enzo, the way he used to be. The hard look in his eyes as he trained me, and then the vulnerability I saw in him whenever we were alone. I don't need to push Sergio to know that Raffaele had asked Enzo to kill him, just as he did to me. Enzo had spared us both. He had been such a strong leader, such a natural crown prince. He would have been an admirable king.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“He wanted to live in a house built on delusion, would rather believe in a million lies than face one truth.”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“They were the flash of light in a stormy sky, the fleeting darkness before dawn. Never have they existed before, nor shall they ever exist again.

—Unknown source on the Young Elites”
― Marie Lu, The Rose Society

“Emma, everyone's afraid of something." Julian move slightly closer; she felt his shoulders bump hers. "We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don't wish you didn't fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn't feel anything.”
― Cassandra Clare, Lord of Shadows

“This is what I want and what I've chosen," Alec said. "How dare you tell me it's a tragedy? Magnus pretended he never tried to fool me into thinking it would be easy, but choosing Magnus is one of the easiest things I've ever done.”
― Cassandra Clare, Lord of Shadows