342 books
—
218 voters
Lovely War
by
“No one can love me,” she says. “No one.” “What do you mean?” “That is the price,” she tells him, “of being the goddess of love.”
“She felt as if she had been crying without end for minutes now.
Yet this parting, this final farewell ...
Aelin looked at Chaol and Dorian and sobbed. Opened her arms to them, and wept as they held each other.
“I love you both,” she whispered. “And no matter what may happen, no matter how far we may be, that will never change.”
“We will see you again,” Chaol said, but even his voice was thick with tears.
“Together,” Dorian breathed, shaking. “We’ll rebuild this world together.”
She couldn’t stand it, this ache in her chest. But she made herself pull away and smile at their tear-streaked faces, a hand on her heart. “Thank you for all you
have done for me.”
Dorian bowed his head. “Those are words I’d never thought I’d hear from you.”
She barked a rasping laugh, and gave him a shove. “You’re a king now. Such
insults are beneath you.”
He grinned, wiping at his face.
Aelin smiled at Chaol, at his wife waiting beyond him. “I wish you every happiness,” she said to him. To them both.
Such light shone in Chaol’s bronze eyes—that she had never seen before.
“We will see each other again,” he repeated.
Then he and Dorian turned toward their horses, toward the bright day beyond the castle gates. Toward their kingdom to the south. Shattered now, but not forever.
Not forever.”
― Kingdom of Ash
Yet this parting, this final farewell ...
Aelin looked at Chaol and Dorian and sobbed. Opened her arms to them, and wept as they held each other.
“I love you both,” she whispered. “And no matter what may happen, no matter how far we may be, that will never change.”
“We will see you again,” Chaol said, but even his voice was thick with tears.
“Together,” Dorian breathed, shaking. “We’ll rebuild this world together.”
She couldn’t stand it, this ache in her chest. But she made herself pull away and smile at their tear-streaked faces, a hand on her heart. “Thank you for all you
have done for me.”
Dorian bowed his head. “Those are words I’d never thought I’d hear from you.”
She barked a rasping laugh, and gave him a shove. “You’re a king now. Such
insults are beneath you.”
He grinned, wiping at his face.
Aelin smiled at Chaol, at his wife waiting beyond him. “I wish you every happiness,” she said to him. To them both.
Such light shone in Chaol’s bronze eyes—that she had never seen before.
“We will see each other again,” he repeated.
Then he and Dorian turned toward their horses, toward the bright day beyond the castle gates. Toward their kingdom to the south. Shattered now, but not forever.
Not forever.”
― Kingdom of Ash
“For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me.”
― If We Were Villains
― If We Were Villains
“You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough.”
― If We Were Villains
― If We Were Villains
“He grasped her by the wrist , running a thumb along the sensitive skin underneath. "Then let me call you Mine for a dance or two"
She grinned but someone was suddenly between them, a tall, powerfully built person. Sam. He ripped the stranger's hand off of her wrist. "She's spoken for," he growled, all too close to the young man's maked face. The stranger's friend was behind him in an instant, his bronze eyes fixed on Sam.
Celaena grabbed Sam's elbow. "Enough," she warned him.
The masked stranger looked Sam up and down, then held up his hands. "My mistake," he said, but winked at Celaena before disappeared into the crowd, his armed friend close behind.
Celaena whirled to face Sam. "What in hell was that for?"
"You're drunk," he told her, so close her chest brushed his, "And he knew it, too."
"So?" Even as she said it, someone dancing wildly crashed into her and set her reeling. Sam caught her around the waist, his hands firm on her as he kept her from falling to the ground.
"You'll thank me in the morning."
"Just because we're working together doesn't mean I'm suddenly incapable of handling myself." His hands were still on her waist.
"Let me take you home.”
― The Assassin and the Underworld
She grinned but someone was suddenly between them, a tall, powerfully built person. Sam. He ripped the stranger's hand off of her wrist. "She's spoken for," he growled, all too close to the young man's maked face. The stranger's friend was behind him in an instant, his bronze eyes fixed on Sam.
Celaena grabbed Sam's elbow. "Enough," she warned him.
The masked stranger looked Sam up and down, then held up his hands. "My mistake," he said, but winked at Celaena before disappeared into the crowd, his armed friend close behind.
Celaena whirled to face Sam. "What in hell was that for?"
"You're drunk," he told her, so close her chest brushed his, "And he knew it, too."
"So?" Even as she said it, someone dancing wildly crashed into her and set her reeling. Sam caught her around the waist, his hands firm on her as he kept her from falling to the ground.
"You'll thank me in the morning."
"Just because we're working together doesn't mean I'm suddenly incapable of handling myself." His hands were still on her waist.
"Let me take you home.”
― The Assassin and the Underworld
“There is no comfort like complicity.”
― If We Were Villains
― If We Were Villains
LAU’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at LAU’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by LAU
Lists liked by LAU






























































