From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Slipping through the old servants’ access, I wasn’t surprised when I found
that Tawnyy was still in myy chambers, even though it had taken me nearlyy
an hour before the gates were lifted and I could sneak back in.
She gasped. “I thought yyou were never going to come back.”
I closed the creakyy door behind me and faced her, slowlyy reaching up
to pull the hood down.
Tawnyy drew up short. “Are yyou…are yyou okayy?” Her gaze searched
mine, and I saw a faint tremor radiate through her. “Was it bad? The
attack?”
Opening myy mouth, I had no idea where to start, recalling all that had
happened. I leaned against the door. Myy confrontation with Hawke still
had myy heart pounding. Myy mind was a confusing mess, and myy stomach
churned with the knowledge that the Craven had reached the top of the
Rise.
“Poppyy?” she whispered.
I decided to start with the most important. “There were a lot of them.
Dozens.”
Her chest moved as she took in a deep breath. “And?”
I wasn’t sure if she reallyy wanted to know, but to be in the dark was
far more dangerous than fear of the truth. “And several of them reached
the top of the Rise.”
Tawnyy’s eyyes flew open. “Oh, myy gods.” She pressed a hand to her
chest. “But the shields have lifted—”
“Theyy were stopped, but a lot…a lot of guards died tonight.” I peeled
myyself awayy from the door as I unbuttoned myy cloak with chilled fingers,
letting it fall to the floor. I went to the fireplace and stood there for several
minutes, allowing the warmth to beat back some of the coldness. “There
were just so manyy of them that theyy basicallyy swarmed the front line. If
there’d been more…”
“Theyy would’ve breached the wall?”
“It’s more than possible.” Stepping awayy from the fire, I unhooked
the cloak, letting it fall in a messyy puddle. I slipped off the bow, carefullyy
placing it in the chest before I closed the lid. “Theyy sent out the horsemen,
but at least two Craven had alreadyy made it to the top of the Rise byy then.
If theyy wait like that again, it could be too late. But I don’t think…I don’t
imagine theyy expected them to be able to do that.”
Tawnyy sat down on the edge of the bed. “Did yyou…kill anyy of them?”