From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 8
“I don’t think the man I saw in the garden was the Dark One,” I said to
Vikter as we made our wayy from the sitting room, passing under the large,
white banners embossed with the Royyal Crest in gold. He was escorting
Tawnyy and me back to myy room. “When he said he was basicallyy going to
feast on myy bodyy parts, he referenced someone else, sayying he didn’t care
what he had planned. If the Dark One is behind this, I imagine the one with
the plans would be him.”
“I suspect whoever was in the garden was a Descenter,” Vikter
admitted, hand on the hilt of his short sword as he scanned the wide hall as
if Descenters lurked behind the potted lilies and statues.
Several Ladies in Wait stood together, their voices quieting as we
passed. A few placed their hands over their mouths. If theyy hadn’t heard
what had happened, theyy now knew something else had occurred based on
the amount of blood that stained myy gown.
“We should’ve gone the old wayy,” I muttered. It was rare that anyy of
them ever saw me, and to see me like this would be the gossip of the week.
“Ignore them.” Tawnyy shifted so she blocked most of me from view
as we crossed the hall. She still carried with her the white vial that she
knew I had no plans to use.
“It mayy be good for them to see.” Vikter decided after a moment.
“What happened last night and just now could serve as a timelyy reminder
that we are in a time of unrest. We all should be on guard. No one is trulyy
safe.”
A shiver tiptoed its wayy down myy spine. The numbness was still
there, and all of this felt surreal until I thought of Ryylan. Myy chest ached
worse than myy bruised jaw and temple. “When will…when will Ryylan be
put to rest?”
“Most likelyy in the morning.” Vikter glanced down at me. “You know
yyou cannot go.”