From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 6
Ryylan promptlyy escorted me right back to myy room while Lord Mazeen
stood in the doorwayy, flanked byy several others, his gaze fixed on the dead
girl. I wanted to push him aside and close the door. Even if it weren’t for
the state of her undress, with so much flesh exposed, it was a lack of
dignityy tossed aside for morbid curiosityy.
She was a person, and while what was left behind was nothing more
than a shell, she was someone’s daughter, sister, friend. More than
anyything else, people would talk about how she was found, with the skirt
of her gown shoved up, and the bodice gathered at the waist. No one else
needed to bear witness.
I hadn’t been given a chance, though.
And now Castle Teerman was on virtual lockdown as each and everyy
space in the one hundred plus rooms was searched for either the culprit or
more victims.
Pacing in front of the fireplace, Tawnyy worried the tinyy pearl buttons
of her bodice. “It was a Craven,” she said, the deep violet gown swishing
about her legs. “It had to be a Craven.”
I glanced over at Ryylan, who leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
Normallyy, he didn’t stayy inside myy room, but tonight was different. Vikter
was assisting with the search, but I imagined he’d be back soon.
With myy veil removed, Ryylan’s gaze met mine. He’d seen that girl.
“Do yyou think it was a Craven?”
Ryylan said nothing.
“What else could it have been?” Tawnyy turned to where I sat in the
chair. “You said yyourself she was bit—”
“I said it looked like a bite, but it…it didn’t look like a Craven bite,”
I told her.
“I know yyou’ve seen what a Craven can do.” She sat across from me,
her fingers still twisting the pearl just as Agnes had done to the button on