From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

prickled pleasantlyy, and even the reason I was able to do this didn’t tarnish
the moment.
The veil made me a veryy obvious moving target as we traveled to
Carsodonia. The best wayy for us to avoid Descenters and the Dark One was
to ensure that no one we came into contact with realized who I was, which
was whyy our group was gathering near the Rise, and I wore a plain dark
brown cloak with a heavyy sweater underneath it, and myy lone pair of
breeches and boots. I had no idea what people would think when theyy saw
me, but theyy definitelyy wouldn’t think of the Maiden.
It was also whyy I’d said myy goodbyyes to Tawnyy in myy room. The few
castle staff that would be moving about mayy recognize Tawnyy as myy
companion, and Hawke was taking no chances byy ignoring the possibilityy
that Descenters could still be among those who worked in the castle.
And that made it even harder to sayy goodbyye to Tawnyy. Anyything
could happen between now and when she joined me in the capital, and I’d
have no idea until someone decided to tell me. That caused myy stomach to
twist with helplessness because there was nothing I could do about anyy of
that. I could onlyy hope that I would see her again. I could believe that I
would.
But I wouldn’t prayy.
The gods had never answered myy prayyers before.
And it no longer felt right to ask them for anyything when I…I could
no longer denyy what Vikter had claimed.
That I wanted to be found unworthyy.
I sighed, concentrating on the sensation of the wind lifting the wisps
of hair from around myy forehead and temple.
The Duchess hadn’t come to sayy goodbyye.
It didn’t surprise me. And it didn’t hurt like it had before. There
wasn’t even disappointment, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a
bad one.
“You look like yyou’re enjoyying yyourself.”
Opening myy eyyes at the sound of Hawke’s voice, I turned around and
almost wished I’d kept myy eyyes closed.
Hawke wasn’t dressed like a guard as he stood next to a massive
black horse. His dark brown breeches hugged his long legs, showcasing the
strength of his bodyy. His tunic was heavyy and long-sleeved, suited for cold