Felinus quickly folded the sheet of paper that held Von’s prophecy and tucked it into his pocket. Amryn lifted Von’s journal and the book of lore Felinus had rested atop it, her eyes scanning the best place to hide them. She couldn’t risk the female cleric seeing them and growing curious.
“My bag,” Felinus whispered, snatching it from the floor. He held it open as she thrust the books inside, before dropping it to rest casually near his feet. At least, Amryn hoped it looked casual.
She hurried across the room, rechecking the bloodstone in her pocket as she went. The hum seemed fainter than usual, and a wave of dizziness hit her as she reached the door. She planted a hand on the wall, casting a look over her shoulder at Felinus. The man’s skin appeared a little sallow. “Are you all right?” she called softly.
The cleric swallowed once, sweat beading on his brow. “Perhaps I drank a little too much wine.”
Another knock on the door, this one impatient. “Amryn?” High Cleric Lisbeth’s voice was more curt than before.
Amryn hurried to unlock the door and pull it open.
Lisbeth stood there with a somber expression, her sharp eyes assessing as she took in Amryn. “My dear, you look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”
Amryn’s throat was too dry to answer. Because the high cleric wasn’t alone. Rhone Quinn flanked her, his features dark and serious, and on her other sidewas Renault Quinn—Rhone’s father. The older knight appeared travel-worn, like Felinus, but his eyes were alert.
Her stomach dropped. Because other than those three imposing figures, there was no one else in the corridor.
Not even her guards.
“Lady Vincetti,” Renault said, his voice cold and flat. “You’ve been a very difficult empath to find.”
Chapter 66
Carver
Itwaslateatnight when Tam directed them to a large manor on the outskirts of Vamalj, a small city four days south of Zagrev. According to Tam, the mansion belonged to her father. The king of Kalmar had bought the home for his wife, who had loved vacationing in the region.
The house appeared completely abandoned.
“Let me go in first,” Tam said. “I’ll tell my men to surrender.”
“No,” Cregon declared immediately. “You’re not getting a chance to warn them.”
They had approached from the east, using the shelter of a wooded area to mask their arrival. Carver’s father was carefully scanning the darkened mansion. Moonlight was the only illumination against the windows, though it looked like heavy drapes had been drawn inside. Rebels in hiding, or simply a house that had been closed up?
“Ford,” Cregon murmured. “Take Morrison and scout the area.”
Ford inclined his head and slipped away. He was as good as a ghost in the night, able to vanish into the shadows and move with complete silence.
Tam let out an irritated breath. “This isn’t a trap. How would I have even planned such a thing? I haven’t had any contact with my men since I left Vamalj.”
“We’re not taking any chances,” Cregon said. “How many men are inside?”
Tam’s lips pressed into a firm line. “Four. If they’re all still there.”
The back of Carver’s neck suddenly itched. “What does that mean?”
She shifted uncomfortably beside him, the manacles around her wrists clinking. “They’ve grown a bit restless. Things didn’t exactly go according to plan in Esperance.” She hesitated, then added, “I deviated from the Rising’s plan and rushed a few things. The men in there didn’t know that at the time, and they weren’t very pleased to learn it. The fact that it took much longer than expected to get the Rowan’s attention hasn’t helped anything.” She nodded to the house. “Before I left for Zagrev, a couple of the men in there started to express doubts in my leadership.”
Carver snorted.
Tam’s eyes narrowed. “If you let me go in there first and talk to them, the exchange can happen without any mess.”
“That won’t be happening,” Carver said firmly.
Tam shot him an irritated look, but Carver didn’t care. Their dislike was entirely mutual, and it had only been exacerbated over the last four days because he hadn’t left Tam’s side. Not once. He refused to give her an opportunity to betray Amryn.
“You can’t expect us to trust you,” Cregon told Tam.
