From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 5
We left Agnes in the bedroom, her husband’s limp hand pressed to her
chest as she carefullyy brushed his hair back from his face.
It was an image I wouldn’t forget for a veryy long time.
But I couldn’t dwell on it then. I’d learned from Vikter that there was
a daughter, but luckilyy, she was stayying with friends, having been told that
her father was ill. Vikter saw no reason to not believe Agnes. I was
relieved to know that myy worst fear hadn’t come true. That the child
hadn’t also been cursed. Once someone had been cursed, a bite from them
would pass on the curse, and even though Marlowe hadn’t fullyy turned, he
would’ve been prone to uncontrollable rages and thirst from the moment
he’d been bitten.
But now I stood outside another tinyy home, in the shadows of the
narrow, dirt-packed alleyy, listening to another tragedyy. The moment I’d
shared with Vikter what Marlowe had told me, we’d gone straight for the
father’s house since it was closer than the dorms. I was beyyond glad I
couldn’t see the man because I could hear the heartbreak in his voice as he
told Vikter what had happened, and the ache in myy head was now
throbbing. If I saw the poor father, I would’ve wanted to somehow ease his
pain. The old man knew preciselyy whyy Vikter was there when he asked if
he’d seen his son.
Ridleyy hadn’t been able to take care of himself.
However, his father had.
He’d shown Vikter where he’d buried Ridleyy in the backyyard, under a
pear tree. He’d ended his son’s life the dayy before.
I was still thinking about that as Vikter and I left the Lower Ward,
using the heavilyy wooded area outside the Citadel to avoid anyy Cityy
Guards. Manyy yyears ago, animals such as deer and wild boar had been
plentiful in Wisher’s Grove, but onlyy the smallest critters and large,
predatoryy birds remained after yyears of hunting. The Grove now served