From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

for me or to just shed blood, but with the mask and how I was dressed,
theyy had no idea that I was the Maiden.
The man behind the wolf mask chuckled. “Prettyy dagger.”
Theyy had no idea I knew how to use it.
He raised the battleax, and I thought the Duchess screamed. Mayybe it
was Tawnyy. I wasn’t sure, but the sounds theyy made faded into the
background as I let instinct take over.
Waiting until the axe blade whistled through the air, I then shot
forward, darting under his arm. I spun behind him just as he turned,
slamming the dagger into the back of his neck, right in the area I used to
end the cursed.
He was dead before he even realized that I’d killed him.
As he fell forward, I saw the Duchess staring back at me, her mouth
hanging open.
“Behind yyou,” Tawnyy shouted.
Whirling around, I hit the ground as another axe swept through the
air. I kicked out, sweeping the man’s leg out from under him. He went
down just as Vikter turned, his sword arcing through the air as he brought
it down. I popped to myy feet as a Descenter moved to shove a dagger into
Vikter’s back.
I shouted a warning, and Vikter threw out his elbow, catching the man
under his chin, snapping his neck back.
A Descenter rushed me, axe swinging. I darted to the left just as
something—a glass—smacked into the Descenter’s metal mask. I glanced
over myy shoulder to see Tawnyy sans glass, but she wasn’t emptyyhanded for
long. She grabbed the decanter, holding it like a sword.
I shot forward, thrusting the dagger deep into the Descenter’s chest.
He went down, taking me with him. I landed on him with a grunt and
started to rise. A booted foot kicked out, catching myy hand. Fieryy pain
erupted as the dagger was knocked from myy grasp.
It hurt and punched the air from myy lungs. Gods, it stung. I reared,
falling on myy butt. I looked up, scrambling backward. Myy aching hand
rubbed over the handle of an axe.
Above me, the Descenter lifted a sword with two hands, prepared to
bring it down. Myy heart lurched in myy chest.
“She’s the Maiden!” the Duchess shrieked. “She’s the Chosen!”
What the…?