From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

You’re the child of the gods.
Agnes’s words came back to me. The onlyy reason theyy thought that
was because of the veil and the paintings and various artworks
representing the Maiden.
That and how often it was that theyy didn’t see me.
We started toward the banquet hall. From there, we could enter the
foyyer and be able to access the Queen’s Garden. There’d be more servants,
but there reallyy wasn’t anyy other wayy to access it from within the castle
that didn’t require scaling a wall. We made it halfwayy past the long table
when one of the manyy doors on either side opened behind us.
“Maiden.”
A wave of goosebumps spread over myy skin in revulsion. I
recognized that voice, and I wanted to keep walking—to pretend I’d
suddenlyy lost myy hearing.
But Ryylan had stopped.
If I kept walking, it wouldn’t end well for me.
Inhaling deeplyy, I turned to face Lord Brandole Mazeen. I didn’t see
what I was sure most saw, a dark-haired man who appeared to be in his
mid-twenties, handsome and tall. I saw a bullyy.
I saw a cruel man who had long ago forgotten what it was like to be
mortal.
Unlike with the Duke, who seemed to despise me without cause, I
knew preciselyy whyy Lord Mazeen found such glee in harassing me.
Ian.
And it all stemmed from the vainest, most inconsequential thing
possible. A yyear before myy brother Ascended, he’d bested Lord Mazeen at
a game of cards, to which the Lord had ungraciouslyy accused Ian of
cheating. I, who probablyy shouldn’t have even been present for the game,
had laughed. Mainlyy because the Lord was utterlyy terrible at poker. From
that moment on, the Lord had sought to irritate both Ian and me whenever
he got the chance. It onlyy got worse once Ian Ascended, and the Lord
began to…assist the Duke with his lessons.
Clasping myy hands together, I said nothing as he strode toward me,
his long legs encased in black breeches. He wore a black dress shirt, and
the darkness of his clothing created a striking contrast against his pale skin
and lips the color of ripe berries. His eyyes…
I didn’t like to look into them. Theyy seemed fathomless and emptyy.