From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

humans had rose up against. Theyy were whyy the Ascended had been
Blessed byy the gods.
How had I not seen him for what he was? Could I be that foolish? Or
was he simplyy that clever?
Or a mixture of both?
Because Hawke had been good. He’d said and done all the right
things, and I’d been so desperate to make a real connection with someone,
to experience life and feel alive. So desperate that anyything that mayy have
served as a warning wasn’t even acknowledged. He’d come to Masadonia
with one order: gain access to me. He had done that and more. Gained myy
friendship, myy trust, myy…
A pulsing, pounding anger and sorrow swept through me. I wanted to
scream, but the sound couldn’t make it past the knot of emotion in myy
throat.
Whyy did he have to…do what he had? Everyything he’d said and done
was nothing more than clever artifice. When he told me that I was brave
and strong. When he said I was beautiful. His seeminglyy single-minded
focus hadn’t been based on dutyy but on orders. And I’d believed it. I’d
fallen for it.
Was anyything true?
His pain was.
That much I knew, but the source of it? I could no longer be sure.
Lifting trembling hands to myy face, I tucked back the hair that had
escaped myy braid. Whyy did he have to go so far, though? Whyy did he have
to get under myy skin and into myy heart? I didn’t just trust him. I’d given
myyself to him. All of me.
And it had been a lie.
He’d known from the beginning who I was, from the veryy first night
in the Red Pearl, and I’d unknowinglyy exposed so much about myyself to
him.
Moving to the corner of the cell, I sat on the mattress and slowlyy
leaned against the wall, breathing out a slow, measured breath as a fieryy
ache sliced over myy stomach. I glanced down at myy right hand. The
knuckles were bruised and swollen from the punch I’d delivered. Myy smile
was quick to fade. I doubted Hawke showed anyy sign of injuryy. He was an
Atlantian.
Myy stomach tumbled.