“We can also question any of the rebels we already have in the dungeon,” Morelli said. His tone made it clear that such action was unlikely to yield any real results.
“Our best information will probably come from Jamir,” Cregon said. “Or when we capture Tam.”
“It’s still possible Ford will find Argent and Tam at my uncle’s castle,” Jayveh said.
“I pray to the Divinities that will be so,” the emperor murmured.
Carver’s heart squeezed as he once again took in the emperor’s worn appearance. The lines on his face were deeper than Carver remembered, his visage severely weathered. He’d never seen the emperor look so old.
And yet, a dark grimness entered his eyes as he said, “But if Argent isn’t there, I will tear apart the empire looking for him. The Rising has long been an enemy, but in taking my grandson, they have made a fatal mistake.” His eyes glimmered with barely restrained fury, his hatred clear as he said, “The war with them will be outright now. We will leverage every advantage we have against them. I will show no mercy.”
Chapter 9
Amryn
Amryntrailedtheservantwho led the Chosen down the palace halls, everything around her blurring amid her internal panic. Fear still gripped her from when Zacharias had leveled his accusation, leaving a sharp tang on her tongue. Because even though the high cleric had been wrong in thinking the empath was Sadia, Amryn was still in terrible danger.
Knights were coming. They’d be here in three days. The thought alone made her lungs tighten with a barely silenced scream. The only thing that kept her from running right now was Carver. He’d promised that they wouldn’t linger in Zagrev. She clung to that, even as every step she took moved her farther away from him.
“We cannot allow an empath to roam free. A monster like that does not deserve to live.”
Amryn’s fingernails bit into her palms. She’d felt Jayveh’s horror at the news that an empath had been at Esperance. Sadia’s fear had been just as cutting. Amryn shouldn’t be surprised by their terror, or even find fault with their reactions. How could she blame them for fearing the monsters they’d beentoldto fear?
It still made her chest ache.
They arrived at Samuel and Sadia’s room first, a guard already stationed at their door. Before disappearing inside the suite, Sadia sent Amryn a small, somewhat weary smile that Amryn struggled to return.
Further down the hall, they stopped at Ivan’s room.
The Sibeten prince remained firmly at her side. “I will escort Amryn to her room,” he said to the servant guiding them.
The man blinked. “That won’t be necessary.”
Ivan said nothing, just stared at the man.
Unease filtered through the servant, who darted a look at Amryn. “Lady Vincetti’s suite is located in another wing of the palace. I’m sure you—”
“Why is she being roomed elsewhere?” Ivan demanded, his suspicion as cold as his tone.
The servant’s discomfort magnified, nearly making Amryn squirm. “General Vincetti already has an apartment within the palace,” the man hurried to explain. “The steward thought that he—and Lady Vincetti—would be most comfortable there, so he made no other arrangements.”
It was an entirely reasonable explanation. In fact, Amryn should have assumed Carver had a permanent room at the palace. He’d been visiting this place since his birth, and he was a high-ranking general.
Ivan grunted. “I will accompany her.”
The servant bristled slightly, but Amryn sensed his underlying concern. The darting look he sent her made it clear he was worried about her.
She cleared her throat, speaking for the first time. “Ivan is a friend.” And her self-appointed bodyguard, apparently.
The servant’s jaw tightened, but some of his unease faded. “Very well. If you’ll follow me, please.”
He led them down a maze of corridors until they finally stopped at a door guarded by a uniformed man. Unlike at the other rooms, the servant drew a key from his pocket to unlock the door. “Your apartment, my lady,” he said, pushing open the door.
Amryn had glimpsed the other rooms the Chosen had been appointed. All had appeared comfortable, but this suite was obviously larger. The main room was spacious but artfully divided into sections. Directly before her was a sitting area, with comfortable looking armchairs gathered around a low, dark wood table. Beyond that was a square dining table with four matching chairs, and a massive stone fireplace she imagined was rarely used in this climate. At the back of the room were twin glass doors that currently stood open, revealing a balcony that overlooked the city of Zagrev. Windows with decorative lattices were set on either side of the doors with long, midnight blue drapes pulled back to let the sunlight in. A largebed dominated the right side of the room, and an open door on her left led to a washroom—the only separate room in the suite.
As Amryn stepped further into the room, she began to focus on the details that made it clear this wasn’t just a guest room. First, instead of the more standard colors of scarlet, gold, and black that dominated the palace, this one was decorated in dark blues, splashes of white and gray, and subtle accents of gold, all paired with dark wood. It was a masculine space, but undeniably peaceful.
The décor itself was also more personal. An oil painting of Carver’s family hung on one wall, Carver’s soft smile easy to identify even though the version of him staring back at her was younger—perhaps fifteen? Another wall held a large painting of the seashore, with frothy waves rolling over gleaming white sand, clusters of palm trees, and rippling, crystalline blue water stretching out to a distant horizon. A dark wood bookshelf sat in one corner of the room, stuffed with books that looked just tattered enough to show plenty of use, but were arranged with obvious care. One shelf held only a stack of loose parchment. The top paper appeared to be a drawing done by a child. Amryn imagined it had been a gift from a younger sibling. The remaining space on every shelf was cluttered with discarded daggers, loose coins, a jar of sand, and some scattered seashells.
