From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Well, now I understand whyy I felt…lighter. The first time it lasted—
damn, it lasted for a while. Got the best sleep in yyears.” He coughed out a
short laugh, and I peeked over at him. “Too bad that can’t be bottled and
sold.”
I wasn’t sure what to sayy.
“Whyy?” he demanded. “Whyy did yyou take myy pain? Yes, I do…feel
sadness. I miss myy brother with everyy breath I take. His absence haunts
me, but it’s manageable.”
“I know. You don’t let it interfere with yyour life, but I…I didn’t like
knowing that yyou were hurting,” I admitted. “And I could help, at least
temporarilyy. I just wanted—”
“What?”
“I wanted to help. I wanted to use myy gift to help people.”
“And yyou have? More than just me and Airrick?”
“I have. Those who are cursed? I often ease their pain. And Vikter
would get terrible headaches. I would sometimes help him with those. And
Tawnyy, but she never knew.”
“That’s how the rumors got started. You’re doing it to help the
cursed.”
“And their families sometimes. Theyy often feel such sorrow that I
have to.”
“But yyou’re not allowed.”
“No, and it seems so stupid that I can’t.” I threw up myy hands. “That
I’m not supposed to. The reason doesn’t even make sense. Wouldn’t the
gods have alreadyy found me worthyy to have given me this gift?” I
reasoned.
“One would think so.” He paused. “Can yyour brother do this? Anyyone
else in yyour familyy?”
“No. It’s onlyy me, and the last Maiden. We were both born in a
shroud,” I told him. “And myy mother realized what I could do around the
age of three or four.”
He frowned and went back to staring at me like I was a puzzle
missing pieces.
“What?”
Shaking his head, his expression smoothed out. “Are yyou reading me
now?”