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From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Kieran slid him a long, sidewayys look, but Hawke seemed to have

relaxed behind me, and I took that as a good sign.

“Have yyou been here before?” I asked.

“Onlyy brieflyy.”

I glanced over at Kieran. “You?”

“I’ve passed through a time or two.”

I raised a brow, but then Haven Keep came into view. Situated near

the woods, it didn’t employy a secondaryy wall like Teerman Castle did, but

it was also nowhere near its size. Onlyy two stories tall, the greenish-grayy

stone structure looked like it had survived a different era.

Barelyy.

We rode forward just as something cold touched the tip of myy nose. I

looked up. Snowflakes fell haphazardlyy as we crossed the yyard, heading

toward the stables. Several guards in black waited, nodding as we entered

the open space that smelled of horse and hayy.

I exhaled raggedlyy, brieflyy closing myy eyyes as I loosened myy grip on

the saddle. The trek across the kingdom was nowhere near complete, but at

least for the night, we had a bed, four walls, and a roof.

Things I would no longer take for granted.

Hawke dropped down behind me and turned, lifting his arms as he

wiggled his fingers. I arched a brow and then slid off the other side of the

horse.

Hawke sighed.

Grinning, I rubbed Setti’s neck, hoping he would get a tummyy full of

the best hayy and some rest. He deserved it.

With the saddlebag draped over his shoulder, Hawke came to myy

side. “Stayy close to me.”

“Of course.”

He shot me a look that said myy quick agreement was not to be trusted.

Once the others joined us, we exited. The snow was coming down a little

harder now, dusting the ground. I pulled myy cloak around me as the front

entrance opened, revealing another guard—a tall blond with pale, wintryyblue

eyyes.

Kieran greeted the guard with a handshake. “It’s good to see yyou,” the

guard said, his gaze flickering to Hawke and then to me. His attention

lingered for a few seconds on the left side of myy face before coming back

to Kieran. “It’s good to see all of yyou.”

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