David Kostyk Quotes

“Genya—” David tried.
“Don’t you dare,” she said roughly, tears welling up again. “You never looked at me twice before I was like this, before I was broken. Now I’m just something for you to fix.”
I was desperate for words to soothe her, but before I could find any, David bunched up his shoulders and said, “I know metal.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Genya cried.
David furrowed his brow. “I … I don’t understand half of what goes on around me. I don’t get jokes or sunsets or poetry, but I know metal.” His fingers flexed unconsciously as if he were physically grasping for words. “Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“I need to go to him,” Genya whispered. “One last time.”
She had pulled a notebook from her pocket, the pages held open. It took Zoya a moment to understand what it was. She glimpsed a few words in David’s scrawl: Ideas for compliments—hair (color, texture), smile (causes and effects), talents (tailoring, tonics, sense of style—inquire on “style”), teeth? size of feet?
“His journal,” Zoya said. Where David had written down all his little reminders for how to make Genya happy.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“When he looked at her, you could see that he had found his perfect equation.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I relied on him to find answers I couldn’t, to blaze a path when I found myself lost. David saw things no one else did. He saw through the world to the mysteries on the other side. I know that he’s gone on to solve those mysteries.” A faint smile touched Nikolai’s lips. “I can see him in some great library, already lost in his work, head bent to some new problem, making the unknown known. When I enter the laboratory, when I wake in the night with a new idea, I will miss him…” His voice broke. “I miss him now. May the Saints receive him on a brighter shore.”
“May the Saints receive him,” the crowd murmured. But David hadn’t believed in Saints. He’d believed in the Small Science. He’d believed in a world ordered by facts and logic.
What do you believe? Zoya didn’t know. She believed in Ravka, in her king, in the chance that she could be a part of something better than herself. But maybe she didn’t deserve that.
All eyes had turned to Genya now. She was David’s wife, his friend, his compatriot. She was expected to speak.
Genya stood straighter, lifted her chin. “I loved him,” she said, her body still trembling as if it had been torn apart and hastily stitched back together. “I loved him and he loved me. When I was … when no one could reach me … he saw me. He…” Genya turned her head to Zoya’s shoulder and sobbed. “I loved him and he loved me.”
Was there any greater gift than that? Any more unlikely discovery in this world?
“I know,” said Zoya. “He loved you more than anything.”
The dragon’s eye had opened and Zoya felt that love, the enormity of what Genya had lost. It was too much to endure knowing she could do nothing to erase that pain”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Nikolai winked at her. "If I had anyone but Genya Safin in charge, I might be worried."
Zoya rolled her eyes. "She doesn't need your flattery. She already thinks enough of herself."
"Let him go on," said Genya. "David never gives me pretty compliments."
"Don't I?" asked David. He patted his pocket absently. "I have the list of your good qualities you gave me somewhere."
"You see what I endure?”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“Three pairs of socks, one pair of trousers, an extra shirt. One canteen. A tin cup and plate. A cylindrical slide rule, a chronometer, a jar of spruce sap, my collection of anticorrosives -”
“You were only supposed to pack what you need.”
David gave an empathetic nod. “Exactly.”
“Please tell me you didn’t bring all of Morozova’s journals,” I said.
“Of course I did.”
I rolled my eyes. There had to be at least fifteen leather-bound books. “Maybe they’ll make good kindling.”
“Is she kidding?” David asked, looking concerned. “I can never tell if she’s kidding.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“We can house everyone in the palace. Just think of all the dinners and teas and dancing."
"Just think of all the dinners and teas and dancing," said David glumly.
Genya set her pen aside and seized his hands. "I promise to let you hide in your workshop. Just give me five events and one banquet."
"Three events and one banquet."
"Four."
"Very well."
"You're a dreadful negotiator," said Nikolai. "She would have settled for two."
David frowned. "Is that true?"
"Absolutely not," said Genya. "And do shut up, Your Highness.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“When the last of the foreign dignitaries had filled the hall, Genya and David entered. Genya looked serene, but he could see the strain around the corners of her mouth. David seemed distracted as always.
“No need to worry,” said Genya. “You’re doing marvellously.”
David frowned, his face thoughtful. “So when you said This is a fiasco—”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
“But—”
“Be silent, David.”
“That bad?” whispered Isaak miserably.
Genya offered him a brittle approximation of a smile. “At best, our visitors think Nikolai is eccentric, and at worst insane.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“I loved him and he loved me.' Was there any greater gift than that? Any more unlikely discovery in the world?”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Nikolai thought he understood. There had been a time when words had been the only place he could find solace. No book ever lost patience with him or told him to sit still. When his tutors had thrown up their hands in frustration, it was the library that had taught Nikolai military history, strategy, chemistry, astronomy. Each spine had been an open doorway whispering, Come in, come in. Here is a land you've never seen before. Here is a place to hide when you're frightened, to play when you're bored, to rest when the world seems unkind. Yuri knew that solace. He had once been a scholar. Perhaps he'd like to be one again.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“David took his wife's hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Genya's cheeks flushed pink with pleasure. Nikolai knew David's gesture had been learned. The Fabrikator wasn't given to spontaneous demonstrations of affection, but they made his wife happy, and he loved to see his wife happy. Then David reached out and rubbed a piece of her silky red hair between his fingers. Genya blushed even more deeply.”
― Leigh Bardugo

“Ravka non avrebbe mai accettato una regina Grisha.
Con Alina era stato diverso; lei era una Santa molto amata dal popolo, era il simbolo della speranza per il futuro. Ma per i cittadini comuni di Ravka Zoya sarebbe sempre stata la strega dai capelli corvini che governava le tempeste.
Pericolosa. Inaffidabile. Non avrebbero mai consegnato il loro prezioso figlio dorato a una ragazza nata dal fulmine, dal tuono e dal volgo.”
― Leigh Bardugo (Author)

“David took his wife's hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Genya's cheeks flushed pink with pleasure. Nikolai knew David's gesture had been learned. The Fabrikator wasn't given to spontaneous demonstrations of affection, but they made his wife happy, and he loved to see his wife happy.”
― Leigh Bardugo