From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

pillows—”
“Please tell me yyour head is not resting above a sword everyy night,”
Tawnyy demanded, voice ringing with disbelief. “No wonder yyou have
nightmares. Onlyy the gods know what kind of bad luck using a sword as a
pillow—”
“Tawnyy,” I cut her off before she reallyy got going. “If the castle is
breached, use the weapons. You know how.”
“I know.” And she did onlyy because I made her learn in secret, just
like Vikter had taught me. “The head or the heart.”
I nodded.
“Be safe, Poppyy. Please. I will be so veryy disappointed if I’m assigned
to serve the Duchess. Or, worse yyet, given to the Temple in service to the
gods. Not that it wouldn’t be an honor to serve them,” she tacked on,
placing her hand over her heart. “But the whole celibacyy thing…”
I cracked a grin. “I will return.”
“You’d better, Poppyy.”
“I promise.” Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, I spun and headed
for the old servants’ door beside the bathing chamber. This was the whole
reason I had all but begged and pleaded to be moved to this room in the
older, far uglier portion of the castle. These pathwayys and accesses were
no longer used, but theyy connected to nearlyy everyy room in the old part of
the stronghold including the stone bridge that led directlyy to the southern
portion of the Rise.
Old hinges creaked as I opened the door. The pathwayys allowed me to
move undetected throughout the castle. Over the last yyears, I’d used them
to meet with Vikter in one of the old, unused rooms for training, and it was
also how I was able to slip out of the castle without being seen.
But, most importantlyy, the old stairs and halls could provide a quick
escape if necessaryy.
“Poppyy,” Tawnyy called out, stopping me. “Your face.”
Confusion rose for onlyy a moment, and then I realized that myy face
was unveiled.
“Right.” I lifted the heavyy hood, tugging it into place before I slipped
out into the narrow, winding staircase.
Stone slid against metal as thick, iron doors rattled and began their
descent as I raced down the cracked, uneven stone steps. Myy slippers
weren’t the best footwear for such a thing, but there hadn’t been time to