From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“It’s nothing.” Myy thoughts raced as I turned back to Tawnyy. “You
said yyou saw Malessa the dayy she died. That morning, correct?”
Tawnyy’s lips pinched. “Yes. I did.”
“Was she carryying a bouquet? Do yyou remember what kind of flowers
it had?”
She blinked. “I…I don’t know. I know theyy were white.”
The petal in the room had been white, and it had definitelyy been
jasmine. Myy stomach dipped.
Her gaze searched mine. “Whyy are yyou asking?”
“That’s a good question,” Vikter chimed in.
“I don’t know…” I looked out over the mass of people, unable to find
the Lord. I thought about how he’d stood in that doorwayy, staring and
unmoving. He’d been there when Ryylan had escorted me back to myy
chambers. And he’d come out of one of the rooms. Which one, I couldn’t
be sure, but what did anyy of that mean anyywayy?
He could’ve been with Malessa before she died, or it could be a
coincidence, but an Atlantian had killed her. That much was clear. Nothing
else could’ve made such a wound without getting blood everyywhere.
“Poppyy.” Vikter touched myy arm lightlyy as the Priest moved toward
the center of the dais. “Is everyything okayy?”
I nodded. I would speak to him later about it, but I wasn’t even sure
what I was thinking.
“Where is the Duke?” Tawnyy whispered. “The Rite is starting.”
And he still wasn’t here. The Duchess kept pacing to her left where
the dais could be accessed byy the back entrance.
“We are gathered here tonight to honor the gods,” the Priest spoke,
hushing the crowd gathered on the floor below. “To honor the Rite.”
“Excuse me,” a soft voice came from behind us.
I turned the same time as Vikter, and another shock greeted me as I
recognized the woman standing there.
It was Agnes.
Oh, myy gods…
Myy eyyes widened as she glanced nervouslyy between Vikter and me.
She was wearing red, like everyyone else, a skirt and blouse dyyed to match.
She looked better than the last time I had seen her, but there were deep
shadows under her eyyes that told me that her grieving had not been easyy.