From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

We were about to be overrun.
I didn’t even reach for myy dagger. I couldn’t fight them. Theyy weren’t
the enemyy.
“Shit,” Vikter growled, spinning toward me as Tawnyy stood frozen.
Myy eyyes met his, and I knew what was about to happen. Myy heart dropped.
“Protect the Maiden!” he shouted.
Grabbing hold of Tawnyy byy both her arms, I tugged her against me
and wrapped myy arms around her, holding her as tightlyy as I could.
Vikter’s arms went around me. Guards pressed in, and because of how
close I held Tawnyy to myy bodyy, theyy were forced to form a barricade
around both of us.
“I’m scared,” Tawnyy whispered against myy cheek.
“It’s okayy,” I lied as I forced myy eyyes open, even though I wanted to
close them. Myy heart slammed against myy ribs. For a brief second, I
prayyed to the gods. I sent up a prayyer that Hawke was nowhere near here.
That he’d left to blow off some steam and had gone into the cityy. “Brace
yyour—”
It was like being hit byy falling rocks.
Bodies slammed into the guards from seeminglyy everyy direction,
pushing them into Tawnyy and me. Hilts of swords cracked into ribs and
other bones. Elbows knocked against flesh. Vases shattered. People broke.
The crush of the crowd, of the hundreds who had fled the Great Hall and
now returned was too much—
It was as if a massive wave rolled across the floor, tearing free one
guard and then another and another until I felt Vikter’s grip loosen. And
then he was gone, and something—someone—hard hit me, crashed into
Tawnyy and me. She was ripped awayy, carried off with the wave of
screaming, shrieking people as theyy ran from whatever it was that had
scared them.
That was myy last thought as the room seemed to turn upside down.
Myy feet left the floor, and I experienced a boneless, airyy moment. I saw
the painted gods on the ceiling, then terror-stricken faces and blood and
foam. I came back down, slipping and cracking myy knees on the hard floor.
I tried to push up, knowing I couldn’t stayy down. “Tawnyy!” I
screamed, looking for her, but all I saw was red…everyywhere.
A knee connected with myy ribs, knocking the air out of myy lungs. A
booted foot landed on myy back, slamming me to the floor. Pain shot down