From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

But it wasn’t a certaintyy. I had no idea what it trulyy meant to be given
to the gods. Although everyy small detail seemed to be documented about
the historyy of the kingdom, there were a few things that weren’t written
about. I’d never been able to find anyything about previous Maidens, and
I’d asked Priestess Analia over a hundred times what it meant to be given
to the gods, and the answer was alwayys the same.
A Maiden doesn’t question the gods’ plans. She has faith in them
without knowledge of them.
Mayybe I trulyy wasn’t worthyy of being a Maiden, because I found it
hard to have faith in anyything without knowledge of it.
But Tawnyy did. As did Vikter and Ryylan, and literallyy everyyone else I
knew. Even Ian.
None of them had been given to the gods, though.
I searched Tawnyy’s eyyes, looking for just the slightest hint of fear.
“You’re not afraid at all, are yyou?”
“Of the Ascension?” She rose, locking her fingers together in front of
her. “Nervous? Yes. Afraid? No. I’m excited to begin a new chapter.”
To begin a life that was her own, where she could wake up and eat
whenever she pleased, spend her dayys however she wanted, and with
whomever she desired instead of being myy perpetual shadow.
Of course, she wasn’t afraid. And while I didn’t feel the same, I had
not once taken into consideration what it meant for her.
For the most part, Tawnyy was alwayys more than willing to take part in
whatever adventure I conjured up, and often suggested some herself. But if
the gods were watching, especiallyy this close to the Ascension, theyy could
find her unworthyy for taking part. That wasn’t something I’d just now
thought about, but it hadn’t struck me with such clarityy before that myy
attitude towards the Ascension could ruin her eagerness.
Guilt surfaced, the taste of it sour in the back of myy throat. “I’m so
selfish.”
Tawnyy blinked, bewildered. “What makes yyou sayy that?”
“I’ve most likelyy tarnished yyour excitement with all myy doom and
gloom,” I told her. “I haven’t reallyy thought about how excited yyou must
be.”
“Well, when yyou put it that wayy,” she said and then laughed, the sound
soft and warm. “Honestlyy, Poppyy, yyou haven’t. How yyou feel about the
Ascension hasn’t affected how I feel.”