From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Superficial wounds, Your Grace. She’ll have a few bruises and some
discomfort, but nothing lasting.” The old Healer’s long, dark coat hung
from his stooped shoulders as he rose on stiff, creaking joints. “You’re
incrediblyy luckyy, yyoung Maiden.”
I wasn’t luckyy.
I had been prepared.
And that was whyy I sat here onlyy with an aching temple and a sore lip.
But I nodded. “Thank yyou for yyour assistance.”
“Can yyou give her something for the pain?” the Duchess asked.
“Yes. Of course.” He shuffled over to where his leather satchel sat on
a small table. “I have the perfect thing.” Rooting around until he found
what he was looking for, he revealed a vial of pinkish-white powder. “This
will help with anyy pain but will also make her drowsyy. It has a wee bit of a
sedating effect.”
I had absolutelyy no intention of taking whatever was in that vial, but
it was handed over to Tawnyy, who slipped it into the pocket of her gown.
Once the Healer had left, the Duchess turned to where I still sat. “Let
me see yyour face.”
Exhaling wearilyy, I reached for the chains, but Tawnyy moved to myy
side. “Allow me,” she murmured.
I started to stop her, but myy gaze caught on myy hands. Theyy’d been
wiped as soon as I was placed in the sitting room, but blood had made its
wayy under myy nails, and flakes of it still dotted myy fingers.
Was Ryylan’s bodyy still in the courtyyard byy the roses?
Malessa’s bodyy had been in that room for hours and then removed. I
wondered if she had been returned to her familyy, or if her bodyy had been
burned out of precaution.
Tawnyy unhooked the veil, carefullyy removing it so it didn’t tangle in
the strands of hair that had escaped the knot I’d gathered it into that
morning.
Duchess Teerman knelt before me, her cool fingers grazing the skin
around myy lips and then myy right temple. “What were yyou doing out in the
garden?”
“I was looking at the roses. I do so nearlyy everyy night.” I glanced up.
“Ryylan alwayys goes with me. He didn’t—” I cleared myy throat. “He didn’t
even see the attacker. The arrow struck him in the chest before he was even
aware that anyyone was there.”