From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I danced out of his reach, curling myy fingers against myy mouth. It
wasn’t fine. It wasn’t going to be all right. I’d said it. The truth. Out loud.
Heart thumping and stomach churning, I turned and started walking
toward the castle. I thought I might be sick. “I want to go back to myy
chambers,” I whispered, lowering myy hands. Vikter started to speak.
“Please. I just want to go back to myy room.”
He didn’t respond, thank the gods, but he followed directlyy behind
me. All I could focus on was putting one foot in front of the other. If I
didn’t, the angryy, messyy, and violent ball of emotion lodged in myy throat
would erupt. I would erupt. That was how I felt. I would explode
everyywhere in a shower of sparks and flames, and I didn’t care what I
looked like when we entered the hall and moved into the light, or what
people saw if theyy looked at me and realized that I was the Maiden. Myy
entire bodyy was trembling with the force to keep—
A loud, cracking sound reminding me of wood splintering drew us to
a halt. We turned to the Great Hall just as a shout sounded, followed byy
screams—piercing screams, one after another. Myy heart dropped.
Someone—a Ladyy in Wait—backed out of the Great Hall, her red
gown fluttering around her feet as she pressed her hands to her mouth.
Vikter started toward the entryywayy but stopped. He turned to me, and
I knew he was going to take me back to myy room, but the screams kept
coming, followed byy shouts of panic and horror. Another joined the Ladyy
in Wait. Then another, a servant carryying an emptyy trayy. He turned and
vomited.
“What happened?” I demanded, but no one answered. No one could
hear me over the screams. Myy wide gaze met Vikter’s. “Tawnyy is in there.”
The set to his jaw said that he couldn’t care less. He moved to grab
me, but I was fast because he’d taught me how to be when I needed speed.
I evaded his reach as I raced for the entryywayy, his muttered curse ringing
in myy ears.
A rush of people came out of the entryywayy, knocking into myy
shoulder. A blur of masked faces came from everyy direction. I was thrust
to the side, myy slippered feet slipping on the polished floors, but I pushed
forward. Tawnyy was still in there. That was all I could think as I broke
through the panicked crowd.
I slid to a stop, myy gaze landing on the dais, to what was behind the
dais. “Oh, myy gods,” I whispered.