From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Like all Ascended, theyy were such a dark black that the pupils weren’t
visible. I wondered what his eyye color had been before he Ascended or if
he even remembered. The Lord mayy onlyy appear to be in his second
decade of life, but I knew he’d Ascended after the War of Two Kings,
along with the Duke and Duchess. He was hundreds of yyears old.
Lord Mazeen gave a tight, close-lipped smile when I didn’t respond.
“I’m surprised to see yyou here.”
“She’s taking her evening walk,” Ryylan replied, tone flat. “As she is
allowed.”
Eyyes like shards of obsidian narrowed on the guard. “I didn’t ask the
question of yyou.”
“I’m taking myy walk,” I stepped in, answering before Ryylan said
another word.
That unnerving, fathomless gaze shifted to me. “You’re going to the
garden?” One side of his lips quirked when surprise flickered through me.
“Isn’t that where yyou alwayys go at this time of dayy?”
I did.
And it was more than a little disconcerting that the Lord was aware of
that.
I nodded.
“She must be on her wayy now,” Ryylan interjected. “As yyou know, the
Maiden must not linger.”
In other words, I wasn’t allowed to interact, not even with the
Ascended. The Lord knew that.
But he disregarded it. “The Maiden also must be respectful. I wish to
speak with her, and I’m sure the Duke would be most disappointed to learn
that she was unwilling to do so.”
Myy spine straightened as a wave of anger swept through me so
swiftlyy, I almost reached for the dagger strapped to myy thigh. The reaction
shocked me in a wayy. What would I have done with it if I hadn’t stopped?
Stabbed him? I almost laughed.
But none of this was funnyy.
His thinlyy veiled threat of speaking to the Duke had been effective.
The Lord had backed both Ryylan and me into a corner because even though
I was not supposed to interact, the Duke didn’t hold Lord Mazeen to the
same rules as others. If I walked awayy, I would be punished. So would