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“I went back to the clanging city,
I went back where my old loves stayed,
But my heart was full of my new love's glory,
My eyes were laughing and unafraid.

I met one who had loved me madly
And told his love for all to hear --
But we talked of a thousand things together,
The past was buried too deep to fear.

I met the other, whose love was given
With never a kiss and scarcely a word -
Oh, it was then the terror took me
Of words unuttered that breathed and stirred.

Oh, love that lives its life with laughter
Or love that lives its life with tears
Can die - but love that is never spoken
Goes like a ghost through the winding years�

I went back to the clanging city,
I went back where my old loves stayed,
My heart was full of my new love's glory, -
But my eyes were suddenly afraid.”
― Sara Teasdale

“...if you're thinking of calling the guards, know that the only reason I have for not stabbing you in the throat is the fear that you might die loudly.'

The Ghost gives me a small, wry smile. 'I would, you know. Very loudly. Just to spite you.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“The Empire was crumbling every day. Trillions of people were free because of the Rebellion. Because she was a general running a battle group instead of a cell leader flying the Ghost on one mad assignment or another.
Still, she missed her old crew. Her family.
She wished they all could have been with her aboard the Lodestar.”
― Alexander Freed, Alphabet Squadron

“Were you a happy child?'

'I was magic. How could I fail to be?”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King

“Of all the advantages that ghostwriting offers, one of the greatest must be the opportunity that you get to meet people of interest.”
― Andrew Crofts, Secrets of the Italian Gardener

“The two other members of Dain's spy troupe also have code names. There's the lean, handsome faerie that looks at least part human, who winks and tells me to call him the Ghost. He has sandy-coloured hair, which is normal for a mortal, but is unusual for a faerie, and ears that come to very subtle points.

The other is a tiny, delicate girl, her skin the dappled brown of a doe, her hair a cloud of white around her head, and a miniature pair of blue-grey butterfly wings on her back. She's got at least some pixie in her, if not some imp.
...
'I'm the Bomb,' she says. 'I like blowing things up.”
― Holly Black, The Cruel Prince

“What did he offer you?' I ask, like we're all in on the same joke. Yes, it's a gamble. Maybe Cardan didn't offer them anything at all.

I try not to seem like I'm holding my breathe. I try not to show how small Cardan makes me feel.

The Ghost gives me one of his rare smiles. 'Mostly gold, but also power. Position.'

'A lot of things he hasn't got,' said the Bomb.

'I thought we were friends,' Cardan says halfheartedly.”
― Holly Black, The Cruel Prince

“It is no life to be always under someone's control, subject to their will and whim.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“You're scheming,' the Ghost says, noticing my gaze.
...
'I'm always scheming,' I return.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“You who dwell in the shadows, I wish for you to stand with us sometimes in the light,' says Cardan. 'To each, I give a mask. When you wear it, no one will be able to recall your height or the timbre of your voice. And in that mask, let no one in Elfhame turn you away. Every hearth will be open to you, including mine.'

They bow and lift the masks to their faces. When they do, there's a soft of distortion around them.

'You are kind, my king,' says one, and even I, who know them, cannot tell which is speaking. But what no mask can hide is how, once they give their bows and depart, one masked figure takes another's gloved hand.

Or how the third turns his shiny metal face toward Taryn.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“So here are the wages for your service,' I say with a pointed look around the cave. 'I hope betrayal was its own reward.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“It is not like the Ghost to shout. Or to scream the way he must have for me to have heard him, to scream out of misery and despair and hopelessness.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“Lil-' he says, voice sounding soft and scratchy, but speaking.

He's conscious. Awake.

Healed.

He grabs hold of the Bomb's hand. 'I'm dying,' he says. 'The poison- I was foolish. I don't have long.'

'You're not dying,' she says.

'There's something I could never tell you while I lived,' he says, pulling her closer to him. 'I love you, Liliver. I've loved you from the first hour of our meeting. I loved you and despaired. Before I die, I want you to know that.'

The Ghost's eyebrows rise, and he glances at me. I grin. With both of us on the floor, I doubt the Roach has any idea we're there.

Besides, he's too busy looking at the Bomb's shocked face.

'I never wanted-' he begins, then bites off the words, clearly reading her expression as horror. 'You don't have to say anything in return. But before I die-'

'You're not dying,' she says again,, and this time he seems to actually hear her.

'I see.' His face suffuses with shame. 'I shouldn't have spoken.'

I creep toward the kitchen, the Ghost behind me. As we head toward the door, I hear the Bomb's soft voice.

'If you hadn't,' she says, 'then I couldn't tell you that your feelings are returned.'

Outside, the Ghost and I walk toward the palace, looking up at the stars. I think about how much cleverer the Bomb is than I am, because when she had her chance, she took it. She told him how she felt. I failed to tell Cardan. And now I never can.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing

“Lil-' he says, voice sounding soft and scratchy, but speaking.

He's conscious. Awake.

Healed.

He grabs hold of the Bomb's hand. 'I'm dying,' he says. 'The poison- I was foolish. I don't have long.'

'You're not dying,' she says.

'There's something I could never tell you while I lived,' he says, pulling her closer to him. 'I love you, Liliver. I've loved you from the first hour of our meeting. I loved you and despaired. Before I die, I want you to know that.'

The Ghost's eyebrows rise, and he glances at me. I grin. With both of us on the floor, I doubt the Roach has any idea we're there.

Besides, he's too busy looking at the Bomb's shocked face.

'I never wanted-' he begins, then bites off the words, clearly reading her expression as horror. 'You don't have to say anything in return. But before I die-'

'You're not dying,' she says again, and this time he seems to actually hear her.

'I see.' His face suffuses with shame. 'I shouldn't have spoken.'

I creep toward the kitchen, the Ghost behind me. As we head toward the door, I hear the Bomb's soft voice.

'If you hadn't,' she says, 'then I couldn't tell you that your feelings are returned.'

Outside, the Ghost and I walk toward the palace, looking up at the stars. I think about how much cleverer the Bomb is than I am, because when she had her chance, she took it. She told him how she felt. I failed to tell Cardan. And now I never can.”
― Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing