All Quotes By Tag: Rose
“Seeing the mud around a lotus is pessimism, seeing a lotus in the mud is optimism.”
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“Publishing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.”
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“There are no roses in my yard: what wind brought you?But I suddenly come from far away. I was sick for a moment.No wind whatsoever brought you now.Now you’re here.What you were isn’t you, or else the whole rose would be here.”
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“Of course, now I had the problem of communicating what I needed. Marlen was still beating on the door, and Dimitri would be up in a couple of minutes. I glared at the human, hoping I looked terrifying. From his expression, I did. I attempted the caveman talk I had with Inna…only this time the message was a little harder. “Stick,” I said in Russian. I had no clue what the word for stake was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. “Stick. Where?” He stared at me in utter confusion and then asked, in perfect English, “Why are you talking like that?” “Oh for God’s sake,” I exclaimed. “Where is the vault?” “Vault?” “A place they keep weapons?” He continued staring. “Oh,” he said. “That.” Uneasily, he cast his eyes in the direction of the pounding.”
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“When we were almost to the other campus, I felt the weird nausea hit me. I called a warning to Christian, just as a Strigoi grabbed him. But Christian was fast. Flames wreathed the Strigoi’s head. He screamed and released Christian, trying frantically to put the flames out. The Strigoi never saw me coming with the stake. The whole thing took under a minute. Christian and I exchanged looks.Yeah. We were badasses.”
“Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas” – “Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses”
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“This college would probably have the same problem as the last one did.”I frowned, “What’s that?””Homework.”
“When he finished, he drank from the cup. Everyone else did too, so I followed suit.And nearly choked to death.It was like fire in liquid form. It took every ounce of strength I had to swallow it and not spray it on those around me.”Wh…what is this?” I asked, coughing.Viktoria grinned. “Vodka.”I peered at the glass. “No, it isn’t. I’ve had vodka before.””Not Russian vodka.”Apparently not.”
“Okay, God, I thought. Get me out of this and I’ll stop my half-assed church-going ways. You got me past a pack of Strigoi tonight. I mean, trapping that one between the doors really shouldn’t have worked, so clearly you’re on board. Let me get out of here, and I’ll…I don’t know. Donate Adrian’s money to the poor. Get baptized. Join a convent. Well, no. Not that last one.”
“I’d said it before and meant it: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass.”
“Love fades. Mine has.”
“Other people spoke, and I tried to keep up with the translations. All the stories were about Dimitri’s kindness and strength of character. Even when not out battling the undead, Dimitri had always been there to help those who needed it. Almost everyone could recall sometime that Dimitri had stepped up to help others, going out of his way to do what was right, even in situations that could put him at risk. That was no surprise to me. Dimitri always did the right thing.And it was that attitude that had made me love him so much. I had a similar nature. I too rushed in when others needed me, sometimes when I shouldn’t have. Others called me crazy for it, but Dimitri had understood. He’d always understood me, and part of what we’d worked on was how to temper that impulsive need to run into danger with reason and calculation. I had a feeling no one else in this world would ever understand me like he did.”
“Yet, it had been Dimitri’s gentleness and thoughtfulness mixed with that deadliness that made him so wonderful. The same hands that wielded stakes with such precision would carefully brush the hair out of my face. The eyes that could astutely spot any danger in the area would regard me wonderingly and worshipfully, like I was the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world.”
“I should go,” I said thickly. “Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for…talking.”I started to turn; then I heard him say abruptly, “No.”I glanced back. “What?”He held my gaze, and something warm and wonderful and powerful shot between us.”No,” he repeated. “I told her no.””I…” I shut my mouth before my jaw hit the floor. “But…why? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You could have had a baby. And she…she was, you know, into you…”The ghost of a smile flickered on his face. “Yes, she was. Is. And that’s why I had to say no. I couldn’t return that…couldn’t give her what she wanted. Not when…” He took a few steps toward me. “Not when my heart is somewhere else.”
“She was right about something else too,” Dimitri said after a long pause. My back was to him, but there was a strange quality to his voice that made me turn around.”What’s that?” I asked.”That I do still love you.”With that one sentence, everything in the universe changed.”