Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Sarah J. Maas

Quote by Sarah J. Maas

“I slid my arms around his waist, gripping tightly as he pressed a silent kiss to my hair, reminding myself over and over that we were out. We had survived. Never again- never again would I let someone hurt him like that. Hurt my sisters like that. Never again.”

Quote by Sarah J. Maas

Work

A Court of Wings and Ruin

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is an American author known for her fantasy novels. Her works are celebrated for their rich imagination, complex characters, and gripping plots. Born on March 5, 1986, Maas has developed a passion for writing from a young age and has become a successful author in her own right. more

You May Also Like

“The orb of faelight bobbed ahead, illuminating the stone-hewn cell. Cassian growled at what it revealed. Who it revealed. Wholly different, no doubt, from the same young boy who now smiled at me. Dark-haired, with eyes of crushing blue. I started at the child's face- what I had not noticed that first time. What I had not understood. It was Rhysand's face. The colouring, the eyes... it was my mate's face. But the Carver's full, wide mouth curled into that hideous smile... That was my mouth. My father's mouth. The hair on my arms rose. The Carver inclined his head in greeting- in greeting and in confirmation, as if he knew precisely what I realised. Who I had seen and was still seeing. The High Lord's son. My son. Our son. Should we survive long enough to bear him.”

“The Carver stroked the shard of bone in his palm, attention fixed upon a stone-faced Cassian. 'What if I tell you what the rock and darkness and sea and beyond whispered to me, Lord of Bloodshed? How they shuddered in fear, on that island across the sea. How they trembled when she emerged. She took something- something precious. She ripped it out with her teeth.' Cassian's golden-brown face had drained of colour, his wings tucking in tight. 'What did you wake that day in Hybern, Prince of Bastards?' My blood went cold. 'What come out was not what went in.' A rasping laugh as the Carver laid the shard of bone on the ground beside him. 'How lovely she is- new as a fawn and yet ancient as the sea. How she calls to you. A queen, as my sister once was. Terrible and proud, beautiful as a winter sunrise.' Rhys had warned me of the inmates' capacity to lie, to sell anything, to get free. 'Nesta,' the Bone Carver murmured. 'Nes-ta.' I squeezed Cassian's hand. Enough. It was enough of this teasing and taunting. But he didn't look at me. 'How the wind moans her name. Can you hear it, too? Nesta. Nesta. Nesta.' I wasn't sure Cassian was breathing. 'What did she do, drowning in the ageless dark? What did she take?”

“I don't think even the Carver knows what Nesta is. But I wanted to see- just in case.' 'Why?' 'I want to help.' It was answer enough. We fell into silence, the stream gurgling as it rushed by. 'Would you be frightened of her, if Nesta was- Death? Or if her power came from it?' Cassian was quiet for a long moment. He said at last, 'I'm a warrior. I've walked beside Death my entire life. I would be more afraid for her, to have that power. But not afraid of her.' He considered, and added after a heartbeat. 'Nothing about Nesta could frighten me.' I swallowed and squeezed his hand. 'Thank you.”

“A moment later, Nesta was stomping through the front door, her face a remarkable shade of green. 'I need- a toilet.' I met Rhys's stare as he prowled in behind her, hands in his pockets. What did you do? His brows shot up. ... Me? Rhys leaned against the bottom post of the banister. She complained that I was flying deliberately slow. So I went fast. ... Cassian gaped at Rhys, 'What did you do?' 'I asked him the same thing,' I said, crossing my arms. 'He said he "went fast".' Nesta vomited again- then silence. Cassian sighed at the ceiling. 'She'll never fly again.”

“Cassian extended a wrapped hand, his fingers curling in a come-hither motion. 'Scared?' ... Nesta stepped from the open doorway into the blinding light of the courtyard. 'Why should I be scared of an oversized bat who likes to throw temper tantrums?' I choked, and Cassian shot me a warning glare, daring me to laugh.”

“What's at the bottom of the pit?' I asked as Rhys came up beside me, his shoulder brushing mine. 'I once dared Cassian to fly down and see,' Rhys braced his hands on the railing, gazing down into the gloom. 'And?' 'And he came back up, faster than I've ever seen him fly, white as death. He never told me what he saw. The first few weeks, I thought it was a joke- just to pique my curiosity. But when I finally decided to see for myself a a month later, he threatened to tie me to a chair. He said some things were better left unseen and undisturbed. It's been two hundred years, and he still won't tell me what he saw. If you even mention it, he goes pale and shaky and won't talk for a few hours.' My blood chilled. 'Is it... some sort of monster?' 'I have no idea.' Rhys jerked his chin toward Clotho, the priestess patiently waiting a few steps behind us, her face still in shadow. 'They don't speak or write of it, so if they know... They certainly won't tell me. So if it doesn't bother us, then I won't bother it. That is, if it's even an it. Cassian never said if he saw anything living down there. Perhaps it's something else entirely.' Considering the things I'd already witnessed... I didn't want to think about what lay at the bottom of the library. Or what could make Cassian, who had seen more dreadful and deadly parts of the world than I could ever imagine, so terrified.”

“Lucien rubbed his eyes. 'I've seen Rhysand do such... horrible things, seen him play the dark prince over and over. And yet you tell me it was all a lie. A mask. All to protect this place, these people. And I would have laughed at you for believing it, and yet... this city exists. Untouched- or until recently, I suppose. Even the Dawn Court's cities are nothing so lovely as this.' 'Lucien-' 'And you love him. And he- he truly does love you.' Lucien dragged a hand through his red hair. 'And all these people I have spent my centuries hating, even fearing... They are your family.' 'I think Amren would probably deny that she feels any affection for us-' 'Amren is a bedtime story they told us as younglings to make us behave. Amren was who would drink my blood and carry me to hell if I acted out of line. And yet there she was, acting more like a cranky old aunt than anything.' 'We don't- we don't enforce protocol and rank here.' 'Obviously. Rhys lives in a town house, by the Cauldron.' He waved an arm to encompass the city. I didn't know what to say, so I kept silent. 'I hadn't realised I was a villain in your narrative,' Lucien breathed. 'You weren't.' Not entirely.”