From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

their decisions and are turning to those who wish to see the future of this
great kingdom compromised.”
The whispers turned to outright cries of denouncement, startling the
horses. The guardsmen quicklyy calmed the equines’ nervous prancing.
“What did yyou all think would happen when those who support the
Dark One and plot with him are standing among yyou right now?” the Duke
asked. “As I speak, at this veryy moment, Descenters stare back at me,
thrilled that the Craven took so manyy lives last night. In this veryy crowd,
there are Descenters who prayy for the dayy that the Dark One comes. Those
who celebrated the massacre of Three Rivers and the fall of Goldcrest
Manor. Look to yyour left and to yyour right, and yyou mayy see someone who
helped conspire to abduct the Maiden.”
I shifted uncomfortablyy as dozens and dozens of gazes landed on me.
Then, one byy one, as if the faces were dominos stacked side byy side, theyy
looked to each other as if seeing neighbors and familiar faces for the first
time.
“The gods hear and know all. Even what’s not spoken but resides in
the heart,” the Duke said, and myy stomach twisted with unease. “What can
anyy of us expect?” he repeated. “When those the gods have done all to
protect, come before us, questioning the Rite?”
I tensed. Immediatelyy, the image of Mr. and Mrs. Tulis formed in myy
mind. He hadn’t said their names, but he might as well have screamed
them from the top of Castle Teerman. I didn’t see them in the crowd, but
that didn’t mean theyy weren’t there.
“What can anyyone expect when there are those who wish to see us
dead?” Teerman asked, raising his hands. “When we are the gods given
form and the onlyy thing that stands between yyou and the Dark One and the
curse his people have cast upon this land.”
And yyet, not a single Ascended—not the Duke or Duchess or anyy of
the Lords or Ladies—had raised one hand to defend the Rise. All of them
were faster and stronger than anyy guard. I imagined theyy could’ve taken
down double the amount of Craven I had with a bow, and just like Hawke
had said, theyy had a higher likelihood of surviving an attack.
“What do yyou think would’ve happened if the Craven had crested the
Rise?” Teerman lowered his hands. “Manyy of yyou were born within these
walls and have never experienced the horror of a Craven attack. Some of
yyou know, though. You come from cities less guarded or were attacked on