From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

tapped one long finger on the parchment.
The message must have been sent through carrier pigeon to the
capital, but onlyy a Huntsman would deliver a Royyal message here. He had
to have ridden night and dayy, changing horses along the wayy to have made
it back. It generallyy took several weeks to travel that distance.
“After the abduction attempt and the attack on the Rite, theyy no
longer believe it’s safe for yyou here,” the Duchess announced. “Theyy have
summoned yyou back to Carsodonia.”
I knew this was coming. Since the abduction attempt, I’d accepted
that there was a high chance that the Queen would summon me to the
capital, and I knew that could mean an earlier than expected Ascension.
That was probablyy whyy I wasn’t surprised, but it didn’t explain the lack of
dread and fear.
All I felt was…acceptance. Mayybe even a little relief because this
castle was now the last place I wanted to be, and I wasn’t thinking about
what could happen when I got to the capital. I wasn’t even thinking about
seeing Ian again. I knew what else I felt, though. And that was confusion.
“I’m sorryy,” I blurted out. “How am I not punished?”
Hawke turned to me, and without looking, I knew he probablyy had the
same expression on his face that Vikter would have had.
The Duchess didn’t respond for a long moment until she said, “I
assume yyou’re speaking about Lord Mazeen.”
Myy stomach tightened as I nodded.
Her head tilted. “Do yyou think yyou should be punished?”
I started to respond as I would’ve two weeks ago before the attack,
back when I was still tryying so damn hard to be what I was beginning to
believe I was never meant to be. “I don’t think I can answer that question.”
“Whyy not?” Curiosityy marked her features.
“Because…there was a historyy there.” I settled on that, aware of how
Tawnyy shifted so her leg pressed against mine. I drew in a deep breath. “I
know I should be punished.”
“You should,” she agreed. “He was an Ascended, one of our oldest.”
Tension radiated from Hawke as I felt him move just the slightest bit
toward me.
“You cut him up like a butcher would a slab of meat,” she continued.
I should’ve felt horror or disgust—anyything other than the surge of
gratification that swamped me. “But I’m sure yyou had yyour reasons.”