From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

and his army the blood of the gods.” I shuddered. That was also another
gentle term for drinking the blood of the gods. “Emboldened with the
strength and power, Jalara Of Vodina Isles and his army were able to
defeat the Atlantians during the Battle of Broken Bones, therefore ending
the reign of the corrupt and wretched kingdom.’”
I started to turn the page, knowing the next chapter dealt with the
Ascension of the Queen and the building of the first Rise.
“Whyy?” the Priestess demanded.
Confused, I looked over at her. “Whyy, what?”
“Whyy did yyou just shudder when yyou read the part about the
Blessing?”
I hadn’t realized myy action had been so noticeable. “I…” I didn’t
know what to sayy that wouldn’t irritate the Priestess and end with her
running back to the Duke.
“You seemed disturbed,” she pointed out, her tone softening. I knew
better than to trust that. “What is it about the Blessing that would affect
yyou so?”
“I’m not disturbed. The Blessing is an honor—”
“But yyou shuddered,” she persisted. “Unless yyou find the act of the
Blessing pleasurable, am I not to assume that it disturbs yyou?”
Pleasurable? Myy face flamed red-hot, and I was grateful for the veil.
“It’s just that…the Blessing seems to be similar to how the Atlantians
became so powerful. Theyy drank the blood of the innocent, and the
Ascended drink the blood of the gods—”
“How dare yyou compare the Ascension to what the Atlantians have
done?” The Priestess moved quicklyy, leaning forward and gripping myy
chin between her fingers. “It is not the same thing. Perhaps yyou’ve grown
fond of the cane, and yyou purposelyy strive to disappoint not onlyy me but
also the Duke.”
The moment her skin touched mine, I locked down myy senses. I
didn’t want to know if she felt pain or anyything else.
“I didn’t sayy that it was,” I said, seeing Hawke step forward. I
swallowed. “Just that it reminded me of—”
“The fact that yyou think of those two things in the same thought
greatlyy concerns me, Maiden. The Atlantians took what was not given.
During the Ascension, the blood is offered freelyy byy the gods.” Her grip
tightened, bordering on painful, and myy gift stretched against myy skin,