" As he neared the gates, Haung noticed a slight figure dressed in a plain green robe, belted at the waist with a thin yellow sash, standing on his side of the road. She was smaller than the other adults around her but when she looked up at him, she towered above them all. He found it impossible to tear his eyes away, memories locking his gaze in place. In his ears, the blood echoed the sound of restless seas, each crashing wave a beat of his heart. He could feel himself being swept away into those dark eyes. His breath caught in his throat as she smiled shyly at him. He wanted to say something but nothing came to mind. Then she released him from her hold by turning back into the crowd and vanishing from sight. He wouldn’t let her go so easily and rose in his stirrups, craned his neck to try and catch another glimpse of Jiao. "
― G.R. Matthews , The Stone Road (The Forbidden List, #1)