Page 146 of Esperance

Her heart pounded as she waited.

Samuel had said he would come to her after Argent, Carver, and Jayveh were dead. Since Carver and Ford were prepared to spring their own trap for the rebels, the only person who should walk through that door after midnight was Carver or one of Argent’s bodyguards.

She fiddled with her mother’s prayer coin, tucked in her pocket. The low hum of the amulet was by now familiar, but for once, it didn’t help settle her nerves.

The knife strapped to her leg felt suddenly heavy, though she’d nearly forgotten it until now. She removed her mask and set it on the side table beside the lamp. The purse on her wrist swung a little, the false wax copies of the seals barely weighing it down.

It had only been a few minutes when she heard footsteps.

She felt Samuel’s presence before he opened the door, and her chest tightened.

It wasn’t midnight yet. He wasn’t supposed to be here.

Samuel stepped into the room, his gaze easily finding her in the dim light of the lone lamp. His emotions were chaotic. Extreme.

She couldn’t stop her wince—his feelings were overwhelming. “Are you all right?”

He didn’t answer, just stepped farther into the room.

Her scalp tingled in warning. She took a small step back, ordering herself to focus—to play the part of a rebel. “You’re earlier than I expected. Is it already done?”

Samuel peeled the mask off his face and tossed it onto the nearby settee. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. His wave of guilt, sadness, and regret hit her hard.

Fear curdled in her gut. “Sorry for what? What’s going on?” Her anxiety sharpened when she became aware of others gathering outside the room—too many to easily specify based off their emotions, which were a mix of all things lethal, hard, and eager.

Her lungs seized and she looked to Samuel. “What have you done?”

Pain cut across his face, and through the air. “It will all be over soon.”

The door was prodded open, and a familiar voice slithered in. “Oh, I think the ending is exactly what Amryn is afraid of.”

Shock stole Amryn’s breath. Sheknewthat voice, but it was wrong—all wrong. It was dark, edged with harsh humor and tinged with bitterness. The woman’s emotions felt equally as wrong, but there was no doubtingwhoshe was.

The only thing Amryn didn’t understand waswhy.

Tam stepped into the glow of the lamp, her dark red dress trailing behind her as she plucked the ties of her mask loose. “Amryn, you look so surprised. You really had no idea, did you?”

“Tam?” A thousand questions lived in the single word. Confusion tore through her.

Behind Tam, three men wearing Esperance guard uniforms stepped into the room, hands on their belted weapons.

Tam tossed her mask onto a chair and rolled her shoulders. “Frankly, I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out. Especially in light of your, shall we say,uniquetalents.”

Ice dropped down Amryn’s spine.

No. There was no way Tam knew she was an empath.

“You don’t know how many times I’ve fantasized about telling Carver the truth about you these past few days,” Tam went on. “He might have forgiven you for being a rebel, because he wants you. But he won’t want you once he knows what you truly are.”

Samuel darted a look between them. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing you need to worry about.” Tam strolled forward and scooped up Amryn’s discarded mask. She fitted it onto her own face, but didn’t bother tying it. “I hope it was worth it, Amryn. I hope your time with Carver fulfilled every fantasy you ever had, because you won’t be seeing him again. You won’t be seeing anyone after tonight, actually.” She threw the mask at Amryn.

She flinched as one of the ribbons whipped her cheek before the mask tumbled to the ground.

Tam’s fury was blistering. “You betrayed us forhim. For a murderer with blood-soaked hands, you sold us all out.”

Amryn fought to find her voice, her cheek stinging. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t betray the Rising.”

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