From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

weight pulling at the tender skin around myy ribs. “Hold on,” I told her.
“We’re almost there—” I looked down, peered at her because she was
falling, and I couldn’t hold her.
She fell, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I refused to
reconcile what I saw as I was jostled to the left and then to the right. There
couldn’t be an arrow through the back of her head, the fletching vibrating.
“We were almost there,” I whispered.
A piercing whistle sounded from outside, followed byy another and
another. Slowlyy, I lifted myy chin and stared out into the shadows of the
garden, some deeper and darker than others. Theyy drew closer.
I’d just been out there with Hawke. Had he gotten out in time? Or had
he been felled byy—
I couldn’t think like that. He must have left. He had to.
Someone grabbed myy arm, spinning me around.
“The side entrance.” Commander Jansen’s face appeared in front of
me. “We must get to the side entrance now, Maiden.”
I blinked slowlyy, numblyy. “Vikter, Tawnyy. I must find them—”
“Theyy don’t matter right now. I need to get yyou out. Dammit,” he
cursed as I turned awayy, desperatelyy scanning the mass of people for those
I cared about. He grabbed for me, but myy arm was too slipperyy. He lost his
grip as I raced into the churning mass of people.
“Tawnyy!” I screamed, shoving past an older man. “Vikter! Tawnyy—”
“Poppyy!” Hands grabbed myy back, and I spun. Tawnyy clutched me,
her mask gone, and her hairdo half fallen. “Oh gods, Poppyy!”
Holding onto her, I looked over her shoulder and met Lord Mazeen’s
icyy stare. “Good to see yyou’re still alive,” he said.
Before I could respond, Vikter shoved through, pulling me awayy from
Tawnyy. “Are yyou hurt?” he shouted, wiping at the blood on myy face. “Are
yyou injured?”
Myy lips parted. I saw the Duchess behind us, surrounded byy guards.
Beyyond them, I saw the Duke.
Flames crawled and licked up his legs, climbing over his torso and
spreading across his arms.
“Myy gods,” Tawnyy said. I thought she saw what I did, but then I
realized that she was facing the entrance. I turned.
Theyy stood in the entryywayy and at the broken windows, dozens
dressed in the ceremonial garb of the Rite, their faces shielded byy silver