Cassandra (Thebookishcrypt)

“I poisoned my skin," Genya said harshly, "my lips. So that every time he touched me-" She shuddered slightly and glanced at David. "Every time he kissed me, he took sickness into his body." She clenched her fists. "He brought this on himself."
"But the poison would have affected you too," Nikolai said.
"I had to purge it from my skin, then heal the burns the lye would leave. Every single time." Her fists clenched. "It was well worth it."
Nikolai rubbed a hand over his mouth. "Did he force you?"
Genya nodded once. A muscle in Nikolai's jaw ticked.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“If he cannot be tried for his failures as a king, let him be tried for his failures as a man.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“Fritz, this is Daniel. Daniel, Fritz," she introduced.
Daniel extended his palm in greeting.
"You best be nice to our Vhal!" Fritz said, ignoring Daniel's hand and pointing in his face.
"My, you didn't warn me you had bodyguards," Daniel chuckled, taking Fritz's hand from his face and shaking it. "You have my word, only kindness and care from me.”
― Elise Kova

“Did you ever notice me at Keramzin?"
He was silent for a long moment, and when I glanced at him, he was looking up at the glass ceiling. He'd gone red as a beet.
"Mal?"
He cleared his throat, crossed his arms. "As a matter of fact, I did. I had some very ... distracting thoughts about you."
"You did?" I sputtered.
"And I felt guilty for every one of them. You were supposed to be my best friend, not ..." He shrugged and turned even redder.
"Idiot.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising