Curiosity sharp, Amryn lifted the fitted lid. Her breath caught.
Settled into an ivory cushion was a white gold ring, set with a pale emerald. The oval cut of the gem was simple but elegant, the metal setting around it carved with etched vines. It was stunning—and completely unexpected.
“Do you like it?” Carver asked softly, a faint stirring of nervousness coming from him.
Throat thick, she looked up from the ring to find his eyes fastened on her. She swallowed past the emotions clogging her throat. “It’s beautiful, Carver. I love it.”
Any hesitancy inside him vanished. He gave her that charming half-smile of his as he reached for the box. “The shade of the emerald reminded me of your eyes,” he said. “And the vines made me think of Esperance.” He plucked the ring from its cushioned bed and set the empty box aside. “May I?” he asked, even as he reached for her right hand.
She quickly surrendered it, then watched as he slid the ring onto her first finger. The fit was perfect.
Carver’s palm remained beneath hers, warm and supportive. “I’ve spent a lot of time considering how you could best defend yourself. This was the most effective way I could think of.” He shifted his hold on her hand, bringing his thumbnail to the base of the gemstone.
Amryn sucked in a breath when there was a softsnick.
The emerald released, springing up from the base of the setting on a hidden hinge, exposing a short needle. The tip peeked above the metal setting that had surrounded the emerald, and was still attached to the band of the ring. The needle had been cleverly covered by the emerald.
“The needle isn’t coated with anything right now,” Carver said. “But nearly any poison could be applied to it. Since the goal is to keep you from feeling pain, I purchased somevoralis. It’s derived from a toxic flower in Westmont. It’s not lethal, especially in such a small dose, but it’s painless, fast-acting, and highly effective. All you need to do is prick someone with this, and thevoraliswill render them unconscious in seconds. Even a large man should stay down for a half hour or so. There are a couple ways you can strike at them.”
His fingers shifted, guiding hers to curl into a fist. “You can punch someone with the needle, though we’ll need to practice your delivery so you don’t hurt yourself. Or—” He released her fist and used both hands to flip her hand over so it was palm up. He rotated the ring on her finger, careful not to let the short needle have a chance of catching her skin. “—you can position the ring like this and grab them or slap them. If you have time to reposition the ring, this is what I’d recommend.”
He continued to hold her hand as he added, “You’ll need to avoid clothing. Aim for their hand, arm, or face—any skin that’s exposed. That’s one of the limitations of a ring like this, since the needle had to be short in order to hide it effectively. But I thought it was better to make sure you had an inconspicuous weapon. I don’t want you to be caught unprepared.”
Amryn watched as Carver pushed the gem back into place, a softclickletting them know it had latched securely. He gently spun the ring so it was once again resting where a ring should sit.
His thumb swiped over the pale emerald as he said, “The needle stays protected under there, so you should only have to reapply thevoralisoccasionally—and after you use it, of course. But even if you have to use the ring on a few attackers, thevoralisshould remain effective.” He met her gaze. “I thought maybe later you could try using it on me, just to make sure it works for you and doesn’t cause you any pain.”
Her eyes widened. “You would let me do that?”
“Yes,” he said, even though she could feel the low hum of his anxiety. “We can do it tonight, once we’re back at the palace.”
She knew Carver didn’t relish the thought of being so vulnerable, but he would endure it for her. Just as he’d thought ofall this—for her.
Her eyes suddenly stung.
Carver muttered a curse, concern flaring. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, blinking back tears. “I just can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
His expression softened. “I need to give you more gifts so you’ll get used to them.”
She exhaled a short laugh. “If you keep giving me things like this, and the cello, I can assure you, I’ll always cry.” She touched the ring on her finger, her chest tight. “This is so incredibly thoughtful, I . . . I don’t even know what to say. No one has ever done anything like this for me.” He had given her a way to protect herself. She closed her mouth before she could start blubbering.
He lifted his free hand, his fingertips catching the first tear as it spilled over her cheek. “I’m only sorry I didn’t figure out a solution sooner. I wish you could have had this at Market Square.”
Still struggling to get her emotions under control, she asked, “When did you even get this made?”
“I met with a jeweler while you were at Piera Denvoux’s shop. It was finished last night.”
“Thank you.” The words seemed wholly inadequate, but Carver’s smile was everything.
He nodded to the ring on her hand. “Try playing with it so you can get a feel for how it works.”
Using her fingernail, she felt for the latch Carver had triggered earlier. It was located in a groove in the metal setting at the base of the gem, easy enough to find. With a little pressure, the emerald sprang up. When she depressed the gem back into place, the needle was once again covered. She did it a couple more times before, at Carver’s urging, she twisted the ring around her finger. In this position, she was able to find the release with her thumbnail, allowing her to expose the needle one-handed.
Carver then showed her how to safely throw a punch. She didn’t put much force behind her blows, because she didn’t want to hurt him—or herself—but she couldn’t deny the low thrill she felt, knowing she had a way to protect herself.
When Carver was satisfied with her progress, he pulled back. “We’ll practice more another time, just so you’re completely confident, but I want to go over a few other things today. I want you to think of this ring as yourseconddefense. Any idea what your first defense should be?”
