“People, particularly big men carrying big rifles, don't expect lip from a scrawny thing like me. They always look a bit dazed when they get it.”

“I hope you don’t expect fairness from me, Alina. It isn’t one of my specialties.”

“She's an ugly little thing. No child should look like that. Pale and sour, like a glass of milk that's turned.""And so skinny!" the cook replied. "Never finishes her supper."Crouched beside the girl, the boy turned to her and whispered, "Why don't you eat?""Because everything she cooks tastes like mud.""Tastes fine to me.""You'll eat anything."They bent their ears back to the crack in the cupboard doors.A moment later the boy whispered, "I don't think you're ugly.""Shhhh!" the girl hissed. But hidden by the deep shadows of the cupboard, she smiled.”

“The first time I'd entered the Fold, I'd feared the darkness and my own death. Now, darkness was nothing to me, and I knew that soon death would seem like a gift. I'd always known I would have to return to the Unsea, but as I looked back, I realized that some part of me had anticipated it.”

“You're very welcome," she said, giving my hair a hard tug. "You should be used to being gawked at by now.""And yet I'm not.""Well, if it gets too bad, give me a signal, and I'll get up on the banquet table, toss my skirt over my head, and do a little dance. That way no one will be looking at you.”

“Just you and me.""Really?""It's always just you and me, Alina.”

“Did you miss me, Alina? Did you miss me when you were gone?""Every day," I said hoarsely."I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I'd catch myself walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something I wanted to tell you about, or because I just wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I've risked my life for you. I've walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I'd do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don't tell me we don't belong together," he said fiercely. He was very close now, and my heart was suddenly hammering in my chest. "I'm sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”