From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

sorryy,” I whispered, myy actions causing guilt to make myy skin crawl, but it
had to be done. Head and face throbbing, I sheathed the dagger. “I’m going
to get someone for yyou.”
There was no answer. There never would be.
I started walking the path without realizing what I was doing. A
numbness had invaded myy bodyy, seeping in through myy pores and settling
in myy muscles. The lights from the castle windows guided me forward as I
edged around the water fountain, coming to a sudden stop. Footsteps
sounded ahead of me. Myy hand slipped to the dagger, fingers curled
around—
“Maiden? We heard shouting,” a voice called out. It was a Royyal
Guard who’d often kept watch over the Ladies and Lords in Wait. His eyyes
widened upon seeing me. “Is that—good gods, what happened to yyou?”
I went to answer, but I couldn’t get myy tongue to form words.
Another guard cursed, and then there was a taller form with golden hair
brushing past the two guards, his weathered face stoic. Vikter. His gaze
swept over me, lingering on myy knees and hands, and then the unveiled
part of myy face.
“Are yyou hurt?” He grasped myy shoulders, his grip gentle, and his
voice even more so. “Poppyy, are yyou injured?”
“It’s Ryylan. He’s…” I stared up at Vikter, suddenlyy stopping as what
Hawke had said about death surfacing without warning. It was something
I’d alreadyy known, but it still managed to shock me.
Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least
expected and other times when you’re waiting for her.
Death had indeed paid an unexpected visit.
“How did this happen?” Duchess Teerman demanded. The jeweled flower
securing her brown hair glittered under the chandelier as she paced the
room usuallyy reserved for greeting guests. “How did someone get into the
garden and come that close to taking her?”
Probablyy the same wayy someone got into the castle and killed the
Ladyy in Wait the dayy before.