Blaga

“He and Nina had never exchanged gifts or rings; they’d had no possessions they shared. They had been wanderers and soldiers. Even so, she could not leave him with nothing. From her pocket, she drew a slender sprig of ash and let it drift down into the grave, followed by a smattering of withered red petals from the tulips their compatriots had placed on his chest when they bid him goodbye in Ketterdam.
“I know you never cared for sweets.” Her voice wobbled as she let a handful of toffees fall from her hand. They made a hollow patter. “But this way I’m with you, and you can keep them for me when I see you next. I know you won’t eat them yourself.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“Come back to me, love. Come back.” I’m still struggling to breathe, desperately searching his eyes for answers. Explanations. “Where?” “Here,” he whispers, pressing my hands to his heart. “Home.”
― Tahereh Mafi, Imagine Me

“The curse is broken. The king is returned."

He's every bit as terrifying as any serpent.
I don't care. I run into his arms.

Cardan's fingers dig into my back. He's trembling, and whether it is from ebbing magic or horror, I am not sure. But he holds me as though I am the only solid thing in the world.”
― Holly Black

“That squash is as wide as I am tall, " Nikolai said beneath his breath as he smiled and waved.
"And twice as handsome. "
"Half as handsome," he protested.
"Ah, " said Zoya, "but the squash doesn't talk.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars