ever spoken were a plea for forgiveness for him not protecting me. And I couldn’t remember how my gift had failed me when I needed it the most.
I wished I had never said what I did in that garden.
I wished…I wished I’d never gone to the Rite or gone out into the willow. If I’d been in my room where I was expected to be, we wouldn’t have been in the thick of it. The attack still would’ve happened, and people still would’ve died, but maybe Vikter would still be here.
However, a tiny voice in the back of my mind whispered that the moment Vikter learned of what was happening, he would’ve gone down there anyway, and I would’ve followed. Death had come for him, and that voice also whispered that death would’ve found a way.
In the days I spent lost to the deep nothingness, I couldn’t acknowledge what I’d done to Lord Mazeen and how I felt about it now.
Or how I didn’t feel.
There wasn’t an ounce of regret. My nails dug into my palms. I would do it again. Gods, I wished I could, and that disturbed me.
When I was out of it, I didn’t think, and I didn’t care about anything.
But now I was awake, and all I had were my thoughts, the pain, and the anger.
I wanted to find every single Descenter and do to them what I’d done to the Lord.
I’d tried the second night I was awake. I donned my cloak and mask and grabbed the short sword Vikter had given me years before since my dagger was lost to the chaos of that room the night of the Rite. I’d planned to pay Agnes a visit.
She’d known. Nothing could convince me otherwise. She’d known, and her attempts to warn me hadn’t been enough. The blood that had been spilled that night was on her hands—Vikter’s blood tainted her skin. My mentor and friend, who’d drunk her hot cocoa and comforted her. She could’ve stopped all of this.
Hawke had caught up to me halfway through Wisher’s Grove and all but dragged me back to the castle. The chest of weapons had been removed from my room at that point, and the servants’ access barred from the stairwell.
And so, I sat. I waited.
Each evening I’d been awake, I waited for the Duchess to summon me. For punishment to be rendered. Because I’d done something so expressly forbidden that it made everything I’d ever done before an afterthought.
I’d killed an Ascended.
Maiden or not, there had to be some kind of punishment for that. I had to be found unworthy.
A knock drew my gaze from the window. The door opened, and Hawke strode in, closing the door behind him. He was dressed in the uniform of the guards, all black except for the white Royal Guard mantle.
No one had replaced Vikter’s position yet. I didn’t know why. Maybe after seeing what I was capable of, the Duchess realized that I no longer needed as much protection. But protecting myself would be kind of hard to do without access to any weapons. Or maybe it was the fact that I’d already gone through three guards in one year. Or it could be because so many had died during the attack, and they were shorthanded.
My back tensed as Hawke and I stared at one another from across the room.
Things had been weird between us.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of what had happened in the garden and then with Vikter, or if it had been what I’d done in that room after Vikter’s death. It could’ve been all of that. But he was quiet when he was around me, and I had no idea what he was feeling or thinking. My gift was hidden away behind a wall so thick that it couldn’t even crack.
He said nothing as he stood there. Just crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me. He’d done that a time or five hundred since I woke. Probably because when he tried to talk to me, all I did was stare at him.
Which was also probably why things were weird.
My eyes narrowed as the silence stretched between us. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you here?” I demanded.
“Do I need a reason?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t.”
“Are you just checking to make sure I haven’t figured a way out of the room?” I challenged.
“I know you can’t get out of this room, Princess.”
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.
“I’m going to take a second to remind myself that this is
<<Previous page From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 1 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 2 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 3 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 4 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 5 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 6 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 7 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 8 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 9 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 10 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 11 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 12 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 13 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 14 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 15 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 16 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 17 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 18 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 19 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 20 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 21 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 22 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 23 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 24 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 25 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 26 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 27 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 28 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 29 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 30 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 31 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 32 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 33 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 34 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 35 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 36 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 37 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 38 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 39 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 40 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 41 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 42 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 43 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 44 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 45 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 46 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 47 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 48 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 49 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 50 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 51 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 52 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 53 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 54 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 55 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 56 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 57 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 58 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 59 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 60 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 61 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 62 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 63 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 64 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 65 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 66 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 67 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 68 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 69 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 70 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 71 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 72 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 73 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 74 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 75 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 76 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 77 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 78 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 79 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 80 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 81 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 82 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 83 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 84 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 85 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 86 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 87 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 88 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 89 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 90 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 91 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 92 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 93 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 94 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 95 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 96 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 97 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 98 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 99 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 100 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 101 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 102 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 103 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 104 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 105 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 106 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 107 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 108 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 109 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 110 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 111 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 112 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 113 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 114 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 115 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 116 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 117 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 118 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 119 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 120 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 121 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 122 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 123 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 124 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 125 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 126 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 127 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 128 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 129 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 130 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 131 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 132 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 133 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 134 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 135 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 136 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 137 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 138 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 139 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 140 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 141 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 142 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 143 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 144 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 145 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 146 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 147 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 148 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 149 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 150 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 151 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 152 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 153 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 154 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 155 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 156 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 157 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 158 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 159 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 160 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 161 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 162 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 163 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 164 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 165 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 166 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 167 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 168 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 169 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 170 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 171 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 172 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 173 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 174 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 175 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 176 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 177 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 178 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 179 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 180 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 181 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 182 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 183 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 184 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 185 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 186 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 187 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 188 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 189 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 190 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 191 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 192 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 193 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 194 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 195 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 196 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 197 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 198 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 199 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 200 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 201 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 202 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 203 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 204 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 205 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 206 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 207 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 208 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 209 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 210 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 211 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 212 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 213 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 214 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 215 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 216 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 217 From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout - Page 218
Next page>>