Chapter 29
Amryn
“Relax,” Ivan said, his low voice rumbling.
Amryn stopped pacing, but she couldn’t stop wringing her hands.
Samuel’s nerves hammered her from where he sat in a hard-backed chair.
The back corner of the library surrounded them with towering shelves, the smells of leather, paper, and dust hanging heavy in the air.
The palace library was impressive, though not as large as the one in Esperance.
Amryn wondered if Felinus was there right now, researching the bloodstones. She missed the old cleric. She could have used some of his quiet calm right now.
Bram was late.
Ivan stood in the corner, loaded bookshelves framing him. The vantage made it impossible for anyone to sneak up on him, and he was able to easily monitor her and Samuel, as well as the only walkway that led into this deserted corner.
“What if he doesn’t come?” Samuel asked quietly.
Amryn’s stomach rolled. It could mean the Rising had learned she’d betrayed them at Esperance—or at the very least, that they suspected as much.
Maybe Tam had reached someone, and they believed her story over Amryn’s.
Or maybe Bram had spotted Ivan entering with her and Samuel, and he’d decided not to risk the meeting.
“There could be many reasons for his delay,” Ivan said flatly. “There is no point in worrying yet.”
Amryn glanced at Ivan. His hand was braced loosely around the hilt of the dagger sheathed at his hip. While anxiety tightened Amryn’s skin, Ivan was still, with just a hint of adrenaline riding beneath the surface. Her voice low, she asked, “Are you really all right with this?”
He met her stare. “I have shared my views about the Rising with you before. They have not changed.”
“Is it all right if I have doubts?” Samuel asked.
Amryn and Ivan both looked at him.
Color bled across his cheeks, but Samuel didn’t look away. “I hate Tam for what she did. She killed without remorse. She threatened Sadia to gain my compliance. I don’t regret turning against her. But I joined the Rising for a reason. Didn’t you, Amryn?”
She had. Not just because Rix and Torin had asked her to, but because she’d wanted to help the rebels fight against an empire that had committed countless atrocities. “Yes,” she whispered.
Relief burst in Samuel. “Doesn’t this feel wrong, then?” he asked in a whispered rush. “Infiltrating them like this? Betraying them? If we believed in their mission before, what changed?”
Everything. Absolutely everything had changed at Esperance.
She had married Carver Vincetti, a man who saw things in black and white, and yet he’d shown her just how complicated the world could be.
The rebels weren’t all good. The empire wasn’t all bad.
Saints, she had hated the empire her entire life, and she was now actively working to protect it.
No. She was trying to protect people. Jayveh. Carver. Even Rix, Torin, and Bram, though she doubted they’d understand what she was doing now. All she truly knew was that she had fallen in love with Carver, and she had befriended Jayveh, Argent, and Ford. Those relationships had changed her.
“I love Sadia,” Samuel said softly. “I will do anything to protect her, even betray the Rising. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t conflicted.
Tam was a ruthless fanatic. She never should have been given charge of leading the mission in Esperance.
But the rest of the rebels . . . they can’t all be like her. Can they?”
“I don’t know.” It was the most honest answer she could give.
Frustration swelled in him. “The empire has many flaws. Now we know the Rising has some, too. How do you decide who to support when neither side is without fault?”
“Family,” Ivan said, surprising Amryn with the intensity in his low voice. “You protect your family and those you care about, and you do whatever your conscience demands. There is no other course. Not in a world as broken as ours.”
Samuel stared at Ivan, his emotions still roiling. But as he breathed in, his nerves settled somewhat. The chaos churning inside him steadied. “Thanks,” the prince of Wendahl whispered.
Ivan tipped his head.
Silence fell, but it wasn’t long before footsteps whispered against the stone floor.
Bram rounded the corner. He halted when he spotted Ivan.
“It’s all right,” Amryn was quick to say, her pulse hammering as guilt spiraled in her gut. She gestured to Ivan, introducing him even though the men had met briefly a few days ago when Amryn had been shot. “This is Prince Ivan Baranov of Sibet. He hates the empire. He’s one of us.”
Apprehension tightened the air around Bram. “Amryn . . .”
“You said you needed as much help as possible,” she reminded him. “Please, trust me.” I’m sorry.
Words she couldn’t say, and she hoped they didn’t show on her face. It felt wrong to misuse someone’s trust. She had to remind herself that she would do all in her power to protect Bram. But she needed to protect Carver and Jayveh, too, as well as Rix and Torin.
She needed Bram to believe her.
Bram exhaled slowly, and though his shoulders didn’t loosen, his fear slowly lessened.
She wondered if he was remembering the way Ivan had helped her after she’d been shot.
His genuine care for her could not have been missed, and it would have hinted at a bond between them.
Hopefully, one that Bram could trust in.
Bram looked at Ivan. “I’m sure the Rising can utilize your skills, as well as your position as one of the Chosen. I’ll pass along your loyalty to my contact. He may want to meet you.”
Ivan’s eyes were unreadable. “I look forward to it.”
Bram glanced at Samuel and inclined his head. “Prince Samuel.”
Samuel’s nod was tight, but polite.
Bram set his hands on his hips, his expression serious as he said, “A couple of rebels are acting as lookouts, but we still can’t risk a long meeting. My superior needs to know if you’re willing to help us complete a mission here in the palace.”
“Of course,” Amryn said, ignoring the dryness in her throat. “Whatever you need.”
He spared her a small smile. “Thank you, Lady Amryn.” He then looked between all three of them. “Have you heard of the Wraith?”
Amryn frowned. “No.”
“Yes,” Samuel said, at almost the same time. He glanced at Amryn. “He is a widely feared assassin.”
“The Wraith is a myth,” Ivan countered. “Nothing more than a story designed to terrify.”
“Oh, he’s real,” Bram said. “Perhaps not everything said about him is true, but the assassin is real enough—and extremely good at what he does.”
Ivan’s eyebrows pulled together. “The Rising wants to hire the Wraith?”
“Yes. To kill the emperor.”
Amryn’s eyes widened.
Samuel folded his arms across his chest. “Many assassins have tried to kill the emperor.”
“Yes, but none of them were the Wraith,” Bram said. “If any assassin can succeed, it’s him. Even if only a fraction of the stories are true.”
“Has the Rising already contacted the Wraith?” Samuel asked.
“Yes.” Bram’s mouth pressed into a line. “The Wraith could have charged us a fortune to take on such a dangerous assignment. Thankfully, he’s sympathetic to our cause. He will assassinate the emperor if we procure a single object for him.”
“What object?” Amryn asked.
“A dagger.”
Samuel’s brow furrowed at Bram’s surprising answer. “A dagger?” he repeated.
Bram tipped his head. “The Dagger of Hafsin, to be precise.”
Ivan and Amryn exchanged a confused look, but Samuel straightened in his chair.
“The Shining Blade?” He looked to Amryn and Ivan.
“It belonged to the ruling family of Hafsin for generations. A sort of talisman that was rumored to protect the royal line. It was used in every coronation. It’s considered sacred to the people of Hafsin.
According to old beliefs, it was said to have been touched by their gods. ”
“You know Hafsin’s history,” Bram said, surprised.
Samuel’s jaw tightened. “I’ve studied all the important artifacts the emperor has stolen.”
“Many treasures were surrendered to the emperor,” Ivan said. “What makes this one important to an assassin?”
“Perhaps the Wraith is from Hafsin, and he wants to reclaim it for his kingdom. More likely . . .” Bram shrugged. “The dagger’s hilt is covered in priceless jewels.”
So much for the assassin being sympathetic to the rebel cause. He wanted a priceless treasure for his services.
“The Rising doesn’t care why he wants it,” Bram said. “If we can give this dagger to the Wraith, the emperor is as good as dead, and we don’t have to spend any coin to see it done. That’s a deal we’re eager to make.”
“Where is the dagger?” Amryn asked.
“We don’t know where it is exactly,” Bram admitted. “But we think it’s in the palace treasury. While I’m not the only rebel in the palace guard, none of us have access there. Not even my superior could get in without raising suspicion.”
“You want us to help find it for you,” Samuel guessed.
“You’re the Chosen,” Bram said, spreading his hands.
“If anyone can gain access to the emperor’s treasury, it would be you.
Amryn, your friendship with Princess Jayveh should help you.
Perhaps you can even request a tour of the palace that includes the treasury.
If you can locate the dagger, we can make a plan to steal it.
Hopefully during the emperor’s upcoming ball, since the guards will be distracted. ”
Ivan gave a low huff. “If the best assassin in the world cannot retrieve the dagger he wants, how can you trust him to sneak into the palace and kill the emperor for you?”
“You doubt the Wraith’s skills?” Bram asked, defensiveness rising.
“Definitely,” Ivan said easily. “For all you know, the man is only claiming to be the Wraith. Perhaps he wanted to use the Rising for his personal goals.”
Irritation spiked in Bram. “I’ve been told the leader of the Rising himself has spoken to the Wraith. That’s good enough for me.”