From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

And I needed to come up with some kind of plan and quicklyy because
even though he didn’t seem to hold myy attempt to kill him against me, I
wasn’t safe here. I wouldn’t be safe anyywhere with his people. Theyy hated
me, and if half of what he and Kieran claimed about the Ascended and
what theyy’d done was true, I couldn’t blame them, even though I’d done
nothing to them. It was what I represented.
Still, it was too much to believe that the Atlantians were the innocent
partyy, and the Ascended were the violent tyyrannyy that had somehow
managed to turn an entire kingdom awayy from the truth.
But…
But I’d never seen anyy of the third and fourth sons and daughters who
were given to the gods during the Rite.
I could never understand how those like Duke Teerman and Lord
Mazeen had received a Blessing from the gods.
But never once had I seen an Ascended lift a single finger to fight the
Craven, the one thing the people of Solis feared more than death itself.
The one thing theyy’d do anyything and believe anyything to remain safe
from.
He had claimed that the Royyals used the Craven to keep the people in
check, and if that were true, it worked. Theyy gave up their own children to
keep the beasts at bayy.
It had to be true.
Worse yyet, others must be involved in this. The Priests and
Priestesses. Close friends of the Court, who hadn’t Ascended. Myy parents?
Gods, I couldn’t lie to myyself anyy longer.
What had happened with him was proof enough. His blood had healed
me, not turned me. His kisses had never cursed me. And so far, neither had
his bite.
The Ascended were vampryys—theyy were the curse that had plagued
this land. Theyy used fear to control the masses, and theyy were the evil
hidden in plain sight, feeding off those theyy had sworn to the gods to
protect.
And myy brother was now one of them.
Pulling myy knees to myy chest, I wrapped myy arms around myy legs. I
closed myy eyyes against the burn of tears, resting myy cheek against myy
knee. He couldn’t be like the Duke. The Duchess wasn’t too bad. Neither
was the Queen, but—