From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

experience with that. Probablyy never would, and I doubted most people
did, no matter what their futures held. What myy mom had done was
unheard of. She’d been the first and the last to ever do so.
Queen Ileana had said more than once that if myy mother had
Ascended, she might’ve survived that night, but that night mayy have never
come. I wouldn’t be standing here. Neither would Ian. She wouldn’t have
married our father, and if she had Ascended, she would bear no children.
The Queen’s beliefs were irrelevant.
But when the mist had come for us that night, if myy parents had
known how to defend themselves, both might still be alive. It was whyy I
was standing here instead of the captive of a man determined to take down
the Ascended and more than willing to shed blood to do so. If Malessa had
known how to defend herself, her outcome mayy have still been the same,
but she would’ve at least had a chance.
Myy gaze once more met myy reflection’s. The Dark One would not
take me. That was a vow I would kill for and die to uphold.
I lowered myy hand and then slowlyy turned from the mirror. I changed
into a gown, leaving a lamp burning beside the door and crawled into bed.
It couldn’t have been more than twentyy minutes before a soft knock
sounded on the adjoining door, and Tawnyy’s voice called out.
I rolled toward the entrance. “I’m awake.”
Tawnyy eased inside, shutting the door behind her. “I…I couldn’t
sleep.”
“I haven’t even tried yyet,” I admitted.
“I can go back to myy room if yyou’re tired,” she offered.
“You know I won’t be falling asleep anyytime soon.” I patted the spot
beside me.
Hurryying across the short distance, she snatched the edge of the
blanket and slipped under it. Shifting onto her side, she faced me. “I keep
thinking about everyything, and I wasn’t even there. I can’t imagine what’s
going on in yyour head.” She paused. “Actuallyy, probablyy something that
involves bloodyy vengeance.”
I grinned despite all that had happened. “That’s not entirelyy untrue.”
“This is myy shocked face,” she replied, and then her smile faded. “I
keep thinking about how unreal all of this feels. First with Malessa, and
now Ryylan. I saw him just after supper. He was alive and well. I’d passed
Malessa yyesterdayy morning. She was smiling and looked happyy, carryying a