From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Reallyy?” whispered Tawnyy, still holding the decanter as she came
forward. “I would’ve never noticed that.”
Vikter’s gaze shifted back to me, and even though his cheeks were
more red than golden, he smiled. “You make me proud.”
I’d wanted to throw something at him while we’d been in the garden,
but now I wanted to hug him. I stepped toward him just as Tawnyy shouted.
Time slowed to a crawl, and yyet there wasn’t enough time to stop anyy
of what was happening.
Vikter twisted at the waist, facing the door, looking to where a
wounded Descenter had risen to his feet, his sword lifted. It hummed
through the air, the blade shinyy with blood.
“No!” I shouted, but it was too late.
The sword found its target.
Vikter’s bodyy jerked, his back bowing as the sword punched through
his chest, just above his heart. Shock crawled across his face as he looked
down. I stared too, unable to process what I was seeing.
The Descenter tore the sword free, and myy own weapon slipped from
myy hand as I tried to catch Vikter. He couldn’t fall. He couldn’t go down.
He staggered as I wrapped myy arms around him, his mouth opening and
then closing.
His legs went out from under him, and he toppled. He fell. I didn’t
remember joining him as I pressed both hands against the wound. I looked
up, tried to call for help.
Without warning, the Descenter’s head flew in the opposite direction
of his bodyy, and I saw Hawke standing there, his eyyes a fieryy amber, his
cheeks speckled with blood and…and soot. Behind him were more guards.
As Hawke’s gaze swept the room, it landed on us and then stopped. I saw
the look on his face, in his golden eyyes as he lowered his bloodied sword.
“No,” I told him.
Hawke’s eyyes closed.
“No. No. No.” Myy throat hurt as I pressed myy hand to Vikter’s wound,
and blood gushed against myy palm, streaming down myy arm. “No. Gods,
no. Please. You’re okayy. Please—”
“I’m sorryy,” Vikter rasped out, placing his hand over mine.
“What?” I gasped. “You can’t be sorryy. You’re going to be okayy.
Hawke.” I snapped myy head up. “You have to help him.”