Page 105 of Esperance

Amryn was alone.

He needed to move.

Forcing himself into motion, Carver made a quick perusal of the bodies and pocketed every knife he found.

When he straightened, his body instinctively turned in the direction Amryn had disappeared. Hesitation gripped him. Calling out to her didn’t feel safe; while he’d eliminated this threat, there were other rebels on Zawri. And though he could follow her, he wasn’t a skilled tracker, and she’d had a decent head start. He’d also told her to double back to the road, which meant she could already be there. Out in the open. Unprotected.

He shouldn’t waste time following her when he could head her off on the path.

Decision made, Carver moved for the road they’d abandoned. He hadn’t gone far when the back of his neck prickled a second before he heard a voice calling out.

“Carver!”

The voice was too deep to be Amryn, and far enough away that it probably came from the path.

When he heard the shout again, he recognized Argent.

He cursed and bolted, uncaring of the branches and leaves that lashed him as he ran. When he broke through the trees and skidded to a stop on the muddy road, he had to duck the sword that swung for his neck.

“Stop!” Argent roared.

The bodyguard that had nearly taken Carver’s head blanched. “General Vincetti! Sorry.”

The man was clearly on high alert, and he wasn’t the only one. A quick count showed that Argent was down by two guards, and the prince himself looked a little worse for wear. He held a sword at the ready, and there was a haphazard bandage wrapped around his upper arm. He’d set himself in front of Jayveh, but since she peeked around him, Carver could see she clutched a knife. Their group was muddy and bedraggled, but at least the prince and princess were still breathing.

“Are you all right?” Argent demanded.

“Fine. You?”

“Yes.” His friend’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Amryn?”

“I told her to run when we were attacked. She should be doubling back to the road.”

Jayveh’s dark eyes were frantic. “We haven’t seen her.”

“She would have found a place further downhill.” Carver looked to Argent. “I’m going to assume you didn’t take any prisoners?”

“No. The last man we cornered slit his own throat.”

Carver grunted. “Mine killed each other.”

Jayveh muttered a prayer while Argent’s jaw tightened. “The Rising?” the prince asked.

Carver nodded curtly. “One of mine specifically named you as a target, and I was one as well, but . . .”

“We can’t assume no one else will be targeted,” Argent said, finishing Carver’s thoughts. He motioned for everyone to keep moving down the path, and Carver was grateful; he needed to find Amryn.

“Are we sure this was the Rising?” Jayveh asked.

“Yes,” Carver and Argent said together.

Jayveh’s lips pressed into a line, and Carver could see her thoughts racing. Of course, with guards around, she didn’t dare voice her concerns.

If the rebels had planned to assassinate her, they must not believe she was really on their side. It seemed as if her time as a double agent was over—if they’d ever actually believed in her loyalty at all.

“None of us knew about this outing until Zacharias announced it,” Argent said. His voice was pitched low, but he still chose his words carefully. “Coordinating an attack while we were vulnerable and exposed . . . it had to have been done by someone in Esperance, and they must have had contacts just outside the borders.”

“Or possibly inside them.” The rebels Carver had killed hadn’t looked like guards from Esperance, but they may have been servants. Perhaps the high cleric could identify them. He’d need to bring guards back here to gather the bodies.

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