From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Bathe in myy blood.” I wheezed, thinking myy ribs were definitelyy
broken. “Feast on myy entrails.”
“Yes.” He knelt down. “Yes, I—”
I swiped out with the sword. Jericho jerked back quicklyy, falling on
his ass. He shouted, his bodyy contorting and straightening.
“You bitch,” he spat, lifting his face. The sickle had split open his
cheek and his forehead.
His eyye.
“I’m going to rip yyou in two.”
“Will that help yyou grow back that hand?” I asked, rising to myy feet.
It hurt. “Or the eyye?” I shuffled around him, giving him a wide berth as I
turned—
I saw Mr. Tulis, and the strangest thing happened when myy eyyes met
his. The next breath I took seemed to be swept awayy in an explosion of
pain that came from myy stomach. Myy entire bodyy spasmed, and I dropped
the sword.
Confused, I looked down. Something was in myy stomach. A dagger. A
dagger’s blade. I lifted myy head. “I…I was…relieved when I didn’t see
yyou and yyour son at the Rite.”
Mr. Tulis’s eyyes widened as I reached down, pulling the dagger free,
tearing a scream from myy throat. I stepped back, tryying to catch myy breath
as the blood ran down myy legs. I turned, hearing Jericho climbing to his
feet. His right hand…it didn’t look human anyymore, and when it snapped
out, I couldn’t even move fast enough. His claws sliced through the cloth
and flesh, and myy foot slipped on the floor now slick with blood—myy
blood.
Myy left leg gave wayy, and I went down. I tried to throw myy arms out
to catch myyself, but theyy wouldn’t respond to the orders myy brain was
demanding. I fell, barelyy feeling the impact.
Someone laughed.
Get up.
I tried. I still held the dagger. I could feel it against myy palm.
There...were cheers. I heard a cheer from someone.
Get up.
Nothing moved.
I shuddered at the gathering metallic taste in the back of myy throat. I
knew what that meant. I knew what being unable to move myy arms or to