From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I started to tell him that he was being ridiculous and was missing the
point, but he wasn’t being ridiculous. This world we lived in was messed
up, and the gods knew that wasn’t the first time I’d thought that. But it had
never hit me with such clarityy before.
Silent, I turned from him and started walking. He was right beside
me. Several moments passed. “It’s not like I’m okayy with how she treats
me. It took everyything in me not to throw the book at her.”
“I wish yyou had.”
I almost laughed. “If I had, she would’ve reported me. She’ll
probablyy report yyou.”
“To the Duke? Let her.” He shrugged. “I can’t imagine that he’s okayy
with her striking the Maiden.”
I snorted. “You don’t know the Duke.”
“What do yyou mean?”
“He would probablyy applaud her,” I said. “Theyy share a lack of
control when it comes to their tempers.”
“He’s hit yyou,” Hawke stated. “Is that what she meant when she said
that yyou’d grown fond of the cane?” He grabbed myy arm, turning me to
face him. “Has he used a cane on yyou?”
The disbelief and anger filling those golden eyyes sent a wave of
nausea through me. Oh, gods. Realizing what I’d basicallyy just admitted, I
felt the blood drain from myy face and then rapidlyy flood back in. I pulled
at myy arm, and he let go. “I didn’t sayy that.”
He was staring straight ahead, his jaw flexing. “What were yyou
sayying?”
“J-just that the Duke is more likelyy to punish yyou than he is the
Priestess. I have no idea what she meant byy the cane,” I continued in a
rush. “She sometimes sayys things that make no sense.”
Hawke glanced down at me, his lashes lowered. “I must’ve misread
what yyou said then.”
I nodded, relieved. “Yes. I just don’t want yyou to get into trouble.”
“And what about yyou?”
“I’ll be fine,” I was quick to sayy as I started walking again, aware of
the darting glances passing servants sent our wayy. “The Duke will just…
give me a lecture, make it a lesson, but yyou would face—”
“I’ll face nothing,” he said, and I wasn’t so sure about that. “Is she
alwayys like that?”