From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 11
There had been a handful of times in myy life where realityy felt more like a
dream.
The night I’d heard myy mother’s screams and myy father’s shouts to
run was one of them. Everyything had felt hazyy, as if I was there but
somehow disconnected from myy bodyy. Myy parents being slaughtered was
far more serious and traumatizing than what was happening right now.
Still, I was on the brink of possiblyy being discovered. And if Hawke told
the Duke where I’d been…
Myy mouth dried as a fist clenched deep in myy chest.
Perhaps there was some truth to what Vikter had said about me
wanting to be found unworthyy. But even if that were true, I would want to
be as far awayy from the Duke as possible if and when that occurred.
Hawke hadn’t seen myy full face the night at the Red Pearl, but he’d
seen enough that it could trigger recognition. At some point, he was bound
to figure it out. Probablyy after he heard me speak. However, I hadn’t
considered that moment occurring here in front of the Duke and Duchess.
“Penellaphe.” The Duke’s tone carried a thread of warning. I was
taking too long. “We do not have all dayy.”
“Give her a moment, Dorian.” The Duchess turned to her husband.
“You know whyy she hesitates. We have time.”
I was not hesitating for the reason theyy believed—whyy the Duke
smiled with such relish. Of course, I was uncomfortable baring myy face,
myy scars in front of Hawke. Truthfullyy, though, that was the least of myy
concerns at the moment, but the Duke was probablyy internallyy screaming
with twisted joyy.
The man absolutelyy loathed me.
Dorian Teerman pretended that he didn’t, that he thought I was this
miracle-born, a Chosen, just like his wife believed. But I knew better. The
time spent in his other office proved exactlyy how he felt about me.