From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I’m sorryy to interrupt,” she said, keeping her gaze downcast. “I saw
yyou…and I had to come over.”
“It’s okayy.” Vikter sent me a look. “Would yyou like to speak to me
somewhere private?”
She nodded without looking up, and not for one second did I think she
didn’t realize who I was.
Vikter’s gaze met mine. “I’ll be right back.”
“Actuallyy, I would like to speak to her,” Agnes said as the Priest
launched into a prayyer. “If it would be okayy.” Her gaze lifted brieflyy to
mine. “It would onlyy be for a moment.”
Vikter started to denyy her request, but people were beginning to payy
attention, sending sharp looks of reprimand in our direction. “It’s okayy,” I
said quicklyy. “We can step outside.”
Who is that? Tawnyy mouthed at me, and I forced a casual shrug. “I’ll
be here,” she said.
Vikter quicklyy escorted Agnes out into the nearlyy emptyy corridor.
There were a few stragglers as theyy hurried into the Hall. He led us to an
alcove near one of the open archwayys that led out to the garden. “It’s veryy
unwise for yyou to approach us,” he began almost immediatelyy.
“I know. I’m sorryy. I shouldn’t have, but I…” She glanced at me, her
eyyes widening slightlyy. “I didn’t think yyou’d be here.”
“How did yyou know it was me?” I asked.
Vikter’s head jerked in myy direction, his mask doing veryy little to
hide his disbelief. The fact that she’d identified me when she hadn’t seen
myy face was worth the risks.
“I didn’t until I heard that Ascended—I mean, the Lord—speaking to
yyou,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to see yyou here,” she said again.
“Dammit,” Vikter muttered under his breath.
Well, that was another thing I could hate Lord Mazeen for. Not that
there needed to be another reason.
“What did yyou want to speak to her about?”
Agnes’s throat worked on a swallow. “If I could speak to her in
private—”
“That’s not going to happen.” The softness was gone from Vikter’s
tone. “At all.”
Trepidation flickered across the woman’s flushed face.