From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Of course.” I shifted myy gaze to the fire. “Your arrival had alreadyy
stirred up quite a bit of…talk.”
“Flattered,” he murmured.
Myy lips twitched as I watched the flames curl and ripple over the
thick logs of wood. “Whyy I decided to stayy in the room isn’t up for
discussion.”
“I know whyy yyou stayyed in the room,” he said.
“You do?”
“It makes sense now.”
I thought back to that night and remembered what he had said. He’d
seemed to sense that I was there to experience, to live. Now that he knew
what I was, it would make sense.
But that still wasn’t something I was willing to discuss. “What are
yyou going to do about me being on the Rise?”
He didn’t answer for a long moment, and then he walked to where I
sat, his long-legged prowl full of fluid grace. “Mayy I?” He gestured to the
emptyy seat.
I nodded.
Sitting across from me, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his
bent knees. “It was Vikter who trained yyou, wasn’t it?”
Myy pulse skipped, but I kept myy face blank.
“It had to be him. You two are close, and he’s been with yyou since yyou
arrived in Masadonia.”
“You’ve been asking questions.”
“I’d be stupid not to learn everyything I could about the person I’m
dutyy-bound to die to protect.”
He had a veryy good point there. “I’m not going to answer yyour
question.”
“Because yyou’re afraid I’ll go to the Duke, even though I didn’t
before?”
“You said out on the Rise that yyou should,” I reminded him. “That it
would make yyour job easier. I’m not going to bring anyyone else down with
me.”
He inclined his head. “I said I should, not that I would.”
“There’s a difference?”
“You should know there is.” His gaze flickered over myy face. “What
would His Grace do if I had gone to him?”