From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He tipped forward again, lowering his voice. “I saw yyou during the
Cityy Council. You didn’t agree with the Duke and Duchess. I couldn’t see
yyour face, but I could tell yyou were uncomfortable. You felt bad for that
familyy.”
“So did Tawnyy.”
“No offense to yyour friend, but she looked half-asleep throughout
most of that. I doubt she even knew what was going on.”
I couldn’t exactlyy argue that point, but what he had seen was me
brieflyy losing control of myy gift. However, that didn’t change the fact that
I wasn’t okayy with what was happening to the Tulis familyy.
“And yyou know how to fight—and fight well. Not onlyy that, yyou’re
obviouslyy brave. There are manyy men—trained men— who wouldn’t go
out on the Rise during a Craven attack if theyy didn’t have to. The
Ascended could’ve gone out there, and theyy’d have a higher chance of
surviving, yyet theyy didn’t. You did.”
I shook myy head. “Those things are just traits. Theyy don’t mean yyou
know me well enough to care about what does and doesn’t happen to me.”
His eyyes fixed on mine. “Would yyou care what happens to me?”
“Well, yyes.” Myy brows knitted in a frown. “I would—”
“But yyou don’t know me.”
I snapped myy mouth shut. Dammit.
“You’re a decent person, Princess.” He sat back. “That’s whyy yyou
care.”
“And yyou’re not a decent person?”
Hawke lowered his gaze. “I’m manyy things. Decent is rarelyy one of
them.”
I had no idea how to respond to that little bit of honestyy.
“You’re not going to tell me what the Duke did, are yyou?” He sighed,
his back bowing slightlyy in the chair. “You know, I’ll find out one wayy or
another.”
I almost laughed. I was confident that was one thing no one would
ever speak about. “If yyou think so.”
“I know so,” he replied, and a heartbeat passed. “It’s weird, isn’t it?”
“What is?”
His gaze met mine again, and I felt a hitch in myy chest. I couldn’t
look awayy. I felt…ensnared. “How it feels like I’ve known yyou longer. You
feel that, too.”