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 protectpeople. 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.”
