Ivy

“Only he looked to the stars and demanded more.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“After a long moment, he said, "Aleksander."
A little laugh escaped me. He arched a brow, a smile tugging at his lips. "What?"
"It's just so... common." Such an ordinary name, held by kings and peasants alike.
His smile deepened and he cocked his head to the side. It almost hurt to see him this way. "Will you say it?" he asked.
"Aleksander," I whispered.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“He would have lived next door to a garbage gully if it meant a roof over his head, hot meals, waking up in the same room every morning without his heart hammering as he tried to remember where he was.”
― Leigh Bardugo, The Demon in the Wood

“Never let them touch you. Because one touch was enough to reveal it, this gift lurking inside him. It was enough to make him less a boy than a prize.”
― Leigh Bardugo, The Demon in the Wood