Heart on Fire Quotes

“Trial by fire.
It forges a heart of iron.
And sets it alight.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“You'll still be my light in the dark, Cat. Even if you fall.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“A crushed spark never ignites,” I tell him. “That’s not how you fan the flame.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“I am caught. You caught me. Not the other way around. From the very first day. And from the very first day, I would have done anything for you—except let you go. I couldn’t. Not when deep down, I knew we were meant to be like this. To love like this.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“I claim you for my very own. With my blood. With my bone. With my heart. With my soul. You are mine. Forever. In this world, and in the next”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“I thought you of all people would understand.”
“Understand what? Being an idiot?”
That seems to surprise him enough to add something new to his countenance. A trace of humor softens the stark lines of his face. “No.” A wry smile just barely curves his lips. “Maybe.”
“I am an expert idiot,” I say. “I practice all the time.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“I’m… “ I stop, at a loss.
Griffin lifts his eyebrows. “Inarticulate at the moment?”
Scowling, I thwack him in the chest.
“Overwrought?” he supplies, his mouth quirking up.
I thwack him again.
“Highly emotional?”
Thwack. Thwack.
“Apparently weak, because none of that hurt at all.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“There are multiple roads. You alone choose the ones you take. Some lead to the same destination via different pathways. Others lead to similar or dissimilar outcomes, depending on where you turn.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Do you know what I have in my heart? I have hope. And I'll share it with the world.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“He brought stability to your chaotic heart. Helped you to believe in your own goodness. In your fated path. But free will, little monster. You have to know yourself.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“You’re impatient,” he says. “I like it.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“If only is a bottomless well where wishes don’t come true”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Is this what living feels like? Beautiful and painful all at once?”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Hate is an easier emotion to deal with than love. Hate is cold, with a strong, hard shell. Love is burning, with a thousand fragile cracks that lead straight to your soul.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“I know what it looks and feels like. I understand how it functions inside me. Some days the scales will tip one way, some days the other, and as long as I don’t lose sight of what’s at my center, I can accept that, just as Griffin always has. I don’t need to be perfect, or have all the answers. I just have to be me, and fair, and do my best for the people and place I love.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“You’re constantly fighting yourself. You’re your own worst enemy, Cat. You have to refocus.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“The hermit takes a long wooden spoon from the table and then stirs what must be her dinner for a solid week. Her slow mixing sets loose even more of the mouth-watering meat and herbs aroma of whatever is stewing over the fire, and my stomach rumbles—long, low, and loud.

She slants me an unnerving, bright-green look before moving her slightly contemptuous gaze over to Griffin. “Does your man not feed you?” she asks.

I sense Griffin bristling beside me, as if his shoulders grow a foot in width.

“Of course he feeds me. More importantly, I feed myself.” Sort of. I can pick berries. And maybe catch a fish. I can definitely start a fire. Sometimes.

I glance at Griffin, and he looks back at me with a definite hint of Liar, liar, tunic on fire in his eyes.

I shrug. I guess that’s why we’re a team. I’m Elpis. He cooks.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“You must be tired,” he says, still holding my hand. “And you haven’t eaten much today.”

I let out a slow breath. Griffin’s hand warms mine, making me realize just how cold with worry I’d been.

“I’m not hungry. But I do want to wash and lie down,” I say.

Griffin nods, helping me up. To my everlasting humiliation, I lumber to my feet with a groan. Not long ago, I was walking through fire, riding snakes, and climbing a Cyclops. Today, I suppose I proved I can still move fast when I really want to. Otherwise, it feels like I keep doubling my body weight every time I sit down.

“Gods, Little Bean. You weigh a ton,” I murmur, stretching my aching back. She must already take after her father—big and solid.

Griffin’s mouth quirks up, the small smile bringing some familiar and welcome lightness back into his otherwise drawn features. “I’m assuming I’m not Little Bean in this conversation.”

I snort, taking a shuffling step. My body seems to loosen up once I start moving again—thank the Gods. “You’re Big Bean. Look at you… You’re huge.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“I wasn’t made for Griffin, and he wasn’t made for me. We were made for each other.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“You're the air I breathe," he says without a trace of humour in his voice.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“When we first found each other, I was a mess, full of conflict and fear. His steadfastness and unwavering faith in me helped to save me from myself, and from what I could become. Right now, he'd kill mother for me. Or he'd watch me kill her myself. He also understands this choice and how it's a part of me.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Compassion and ruthlessness have always danced around each other inside me like wary partners, but I know the music they spin to, and I’d rather have a heart to break than no heart at all.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Even so, I don’t feel the similarities between us like I used to, like a corrosive weight inside me leaking poisons into my system. Our paths diverged—far longer ago than I ever let myself believe. I don’t fear becoming her anymore, but I do still recognize the need to check myself at times, and to have people in my life who will do it for me.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“tipped slowly out of the quagmire of my past, tipped slowly toward believing that I could have—that I deserved—a better life. I nearly snort out loud. Funny to think that something as intangible as brightness outweighs muck and mud. I turn on my heel and walk the length of the ledge again. Starting to balance my hopes against my fears revealed my magic to me. Finally understanding optimism brought the power to life.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Or maybe not detached. Maybe this is just the other side of the overwhelming dread, the side where I can finally think and function again. It feels as though I’ve run through an entire night, scared and hurting, but then dawn broke and gave me a second wind. Daylight and Griffin don’t quell all my fears, but they help, just like they always have.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Why did I doubt him? “What is wrong with me?” It’s only when Griffin answers that I realize I spoke out loud. “You still don’t trust yourself, and that makes you incapable of trusting anyone else.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Elpis?” I ask. Persephone nods. “Could you have ever truly understood the primal, raw hope you carry inside you, that you give to others now, without having experienced suffering first? Without nearly unbearable loss and pain to overcome? How can you gauge joy without knowing despair? It’s the journey, Cat. The outcome. Certainly, you were special from the start, but you weren’t born with the inner strength of a thousand men or the wisdom to rule a kingdom. You’re building them, minute by minute, as you live each wonderful or terrible day of your life.” A chill ripples over me. A wave of warmth chases it away. Her words resonate on a deep level, but I’m still not ready to let go of my resentment. Clearly, I’m not that strong yet, or that wise.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Bastard,” I say through clenched teeth.

“Not technically,” Perses answers.

“Technical isn’t the point when calling someone a bastard!”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“You let her die so I’d have suffering to overcome?”

“We didn’t intervene to save her,” Ares says gravely. “And her death saddened us greatly.”

Heat builds behind my eyes. “You should have chosen her. Why would anyone want me to rule Thalyria when Eleni could have done it? She was kinder. Brighter. More responsible. Gods…” I shake my head. “She was everyone’s light, not just mine.”

“You’re wrong.” Ares looks at me, his eyes flat with pressure. “You’re everything she was, and stronger still. Your light shines just as brightly, but to see it, you had to come out of her shadow first.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire

“Could you have ever truly understood the primal, raw hope you carry inside you, that you give to others now, without having experienced suffering first? Without nearly unbearable loss and pain to overcome? How can you gauge joy without knowing despair? It’s the journey, Cat. The outcome. Certainly, you were special from the start, but you weren’t born with the inner strength of a thousand men or the wisdom to rule a kingdom. You’re building them, minute by minute, as you live each wonderful or terrible day of your life.”
― Amanda Bouchet, Heart on Fire