Seeing her distress, he sighed. Tucking a loose curl behind her ear, he said, “I’ll be careful. But I’m not going to hold this against your uncle. Frankly, I’m relieved to see his protectiveness of you.”
“Even if it threatens your life?”
When he only smiled, she muttered under her breath. It sounded like a curse on all men.
He laced his fingers through hers. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll arrest Bram, and—”
“What if we didn’t arrest him?”
Now, Carver stilled. “He’s a rebel. This isn’t like your uncle or Torin, who may have just been sympathetic to the Rising. Bram confessed his involvement.”
“I know.” Amryn squeezed his hand. “But if you arrest him, you’ll alert other rebels in the palace. They’d have time to escape. And there’s no guarantee Bram would tell you anything—or that he’ll evenknoweverything the Rising is planning, since rebels only get small pieces of the larger plan. But he mentioned a superior. If we could catch him . . .”
Carver’s skin suddenly felt too tight. “Tell me you aren’t suggesting that you infiltrate the Rising as a double agent in order to learn more about what they’re planning.”
Her beautiful green eyes narrowed. “It’s the wisest course.”
It was also insanely dangerous for her. “You’re not trained for something like that.”
“Pretending to be what I’m not? Hiding the truth?” She scoffed. “I’ve been doing that my entire life.”
Her words caused something deep inside him to ache. He lowered his voice. “I don’t want you to do this. I don’t want you taking such a risk.”
“Jayveh went to Esperance knowing she’d pretend to work with the rebels.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
Because it was Jayveh, not you.
He didn't say the words, but Amryn’s eyes softened. “I know you’re worried about me, but . . .” She took a slow breath. “If I do this, maybe I can negotiate pardons for Rix and Torin. Maybe even get some leniency for Bram as well, if I can prove he hasn’t done anything truly treasonous yet.”
“Amryn . . .”
“Please, Carver.” Her eyes gleamed with sudden tears. “Rix and Torin . . . they raised me. I need to protect them. They’re my family.” A single tear fell, and she hurried to brush it away. “Arresting Bram now probably won’t get you anything. But if I can find out what the Rising has planned here in the palace, I might be able to save lives—on both sides. Bram said the Rising didn’t send an assassin after Jayveh, but what if things change and she becomes a target? What ifyoudo?” Another tear fell.
Carver leaned forward, framing her face between his hands. The wet trails on his palms made his chest ache. “You don’t have to do this. I’ll talk with the emperor. I’ll beg him to hear your testimony of Rix and Torin.”
“And if he chooses not to believe me? Jamir’s accusation against my uncle could be damning enough, but now Rix’s trusted bodyguard is a rebel. That won’t look good.” She shook her head. “I can’t risk it. I can’t risk Torin and Rix.” Her good hand lifted, her fingers wrapping around his wrist, holding him there just as her eyes did. “Please understand.”
He hated that he did. He would risk anything for his family. How could he expect Amryn to do any less? He closed his eyes, his head tipping forward until their foreheads met. Slowly, he exhaled. “If we do this . . .”
Her breath hitched, her grip tightening on his wrist. “We?”
His thumbs glanced over her cheeks, swiping through the trails of her tears. “If you insist on doing this, then I insist on making sure you do it safely.” He pulled back just enough to meet her too-eager gaze. His stomach clenched. “I can’t be there with you when you meet with Bram. The Rising would never believe I’d betray the empire. But there is no way I’m letting you meet them alone.” They needed to find someone the Risingwouldbelieve could be turned. One of his father’s men, or maybe Ford. Carver didn’t know what the rebels might know about him, but Ford had a well-trained ability to lie and blend in. He could be convincing.
“I won’t be alone,” Amryn said. “Bram wants Samuel there.”
“That’s not enough.” The academic prince was no bodyguard. “Besides, we don’t even know if he’ll agree to this.”
“He will. To prove his loyalty to the empire—for Sadia’s sake—he would do anything.”
Something in her voice made him still. “Are you trying to do that, too? Prove your loyalty?”
Her eyes searched his, her words soft as she said, “I’m not loyal to the empire, Carver. How could I be?”
That cut him. The pain in her voice, the truth her words hinted at . . . But how could he blame her for not being loyal to the empire that hated who she was? An empire that wanted her dead simply for being born with a miraculous gift?
