Allison Engblom

“I wasn’t afraid of you, Alina. I was afraid of losing you. The girl you were becoming didn’t need me anymore, but she’s who you were always meant to be.”
“Strong.” He looked away. “Luminous. And maybe a little ruthless too. That’s what it takes to rule. Ravka is broken, Alina. I think it always has been. The girl I saw in the chapel could change that.”
“Nikolai’s a born leader. He knows how to fight. Knows how to politic. But he doesn’t know what it is to live without hope. He’s never been nothing. Not like you or Genya. Not like me.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“Not all scars are as visible as this. I daresay you have many more inside you. But never forget that every scar is beautiful. And you should never, ever be ashamed of them.”
― Lynette Noni, The Gilded Cage

“So you’re right, you don’t need me fighting your battles. But if you’ll let me, I’d like to be standing beside you as you fight them.”
― Lynette Noni, The Prison Healer

“Remind me," I murmured, "why a single moment is enough to outweigh the rest. Why fickle tempers rule over steadfast hearts.”
― K.S. Villoso, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro