From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 39
Hands trembling, I let go of the dagger and fell out of his lap. I scuttled
backward, unable to look awayy from the glaze of shock settling over his
features.
“I’m sorryy,” I whispered, and I wasn’t sure whyy I even apologized. I
wasn’t sure whyy myy cheeks felt damp. Was it blood? His blood?
He lifted his gaze to mine. “You’re cryying.” A thin trickle of blood
seeped from the corner of his mouth.
I was cryying. I hadn’t cried since I’d watched Vikter die, but tears
now streamed down myy face as I rose on numb legs. I stepped to the side. I
didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going, but I made it to the
door. It was unlocked.
“I’m sorryy,” I said again, shaking.
A choked, wet laugh rattled from him as he bent forward, slamming
his hand down on the floor. “No,” he gasped. “No, yyou’re not.”
But I was.
I turned around, blindlyy staggering out the door into the emptyy
pathwayy that connected to another door at the end. Cold, wet air drifted in
through the open wall, but I barelyy felt it. I had no plan. No idea how to get
out of the keep. I kept walking.
Halfwayy through the hall, it was like a switch was flicked inside of
me. All the horror and the sorrow ceased, and instinct took over. Breathing
heavilyy, I threw open the door and raced down the cramped stairwell, then
out through an open doorwayy, into—
Into the snow.
For a moment, I was struck byy the beautyy of the thick flakes of snow
slowlyy drifting down. A thin layyer alreadyy blanketed the ground and coated
the bare trees. It was so silent, and everyything was clean and untouched.
A voice from inside the keep jarred me into action. Taking off across
the snow-covered grass, I ran toward the woods. In the back of myy mind, I