AmrynstaredatTam,her pulse racing. Once, she’d viewed this woman as a friend. Now, there was nothing recognizable in the princess of Kalmar’s face. Gone was the girl who had been quietly grieving her mother in Esperance; her mourning had been replaced by a hardened, low burning anger. There was no trace left of the Tam who had been kind to Amryn. The Tam who had smiled with her, Jayveh, and Sadia. All that remained was an arrogant, smirking woman with dark, glittering eyes.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Chancellor Janson snapped.
Tam’s lips curved into a bladed smile. “I didn’t want you to forget about me.”
The chancellor ground his teeth. “You’ve made that quite impossible.”
Tam chuckled. “I’m flattered.” Then her eyes flicked to Amryn, registering her for the first time. Her eyes widened, her smile faltering. “What isshedoing here?”
“The Rowan wants to see her, too.”
“She can’t come with us,” Tam protested. “She’s a traitor to the Rising.”
Amryn tensed, but Janson scoffed. “She says the same about you. Frankly, after the way you’ve attempted to leverage the Rowan’s attention, I’m inclined to agree with Lady Vincetti.”
Tam’s eyes narrowed.
“Surely this debate can wait,” Jamir said, shifting his weight as he glanced toward the open gate behind Tam.
“You won’t want to bring Amryn to the Rowan,” Tam warned.
Knowing the rebels were all staring at her now, Amryn said, “It’s my word against yours.”
Tam met her stare, and Amryn had to fight off a shudder. “True.” Her head tilted to the side. “I wonder how we couldpossiblyprove that one of us is a liar?”
Amryn’s stomach twisted. The threat was utterly clear. Tam was ready to tell them Amryn was an empath. How she would attempt to prove it, Amryn didn’t know, but the accusation alone could be enough to condemn her.
Even rebels feared empaths.
“Enough,” Janson said. He dropped his hold on Amryn’s arm. “The Rowan wants to see both of you. He can sort this out.”
The inherent threat in those words made Amryn’s heart clench.
Jayveh’s uncle snorted. “I think I know who he’ll favor,” he muttered.
Amryn had no idea what Jamir meant by those words. At this moment, she didn’t care. Her focus was on Tam. She couldn’t just let her disappear into the night. Not again. She was the only one who could bring closure to Jayveh. Only when Tam faced justice could Argent finally rest in peace. Capturing her was a risk, since Tam could tell everyone that Amryn was an empath. But Tam didn’t know she carried a bloodstone that shielded her from the knights. It would be Tam’s claims against the evidence of Rhone’s own senses. Amryn would risk the knight’s scrutiny, for Jayveh’s sake.
Her thoughts raced. The tentative plan she’d been making now shifted.
Janson moved for the gate. “The wagon is waiting. Let’s go.”
Forcing her shoulders to loosen, Amryn walked forward with him. Without glancing down, she used her thumbnail to find the groove in her ring. The emerald sprang open, exposing the needle coated invoralis.
Tam watched her approach. “Your lies will be exposed,” she said softly.
Amryn drew to a stop in front of her, holding Tam’s gaze as rebels moved around them, heading for the gate. “So will yours,” she whispered.
Tam’s jaw tightened. She began to turn, and that’s when Amryn snatched hold of her wrist, squeezing hard to ensure the needle pricked her skin.
Tam jerked away with a curse.
Janson and the others whirled.
Amryn took a step back, her heart in her throat.
Tam’s hand scrubbed over her wrist, her wide eyes snapping to Amryn. Hysteria climbed in her voice as she demanded, “What was that? What did you do?”
Amryn lifted her hand, letting Tam and the others see the small needle in her ring. “It’s poisoned,” she said. “You’ll be dead in a moment.”
