Page 152 of Esperance

“Yes. If you knew it wasn’t lethal and it helped the cause.”

“I’m actually flattered. And it’s true, I’m committed to the Rising completely. But poisoning all of us didn’t do any good. It might have destabilized things here in Esperance—just as Cora’s murder did—but it wasn’t me. Maybe Cora’s murderer also poisoned the tea.” She shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.”

The leather cords bit into Amryn’s wrists, but she tried to work them loose. She still had her knife belted on her leg. She just didn’t dare reach for it yet, with the guards standing so close.

She tried to keep Tam engaged, her focus pulled away from the doors as she waited for Argent to arrive. Maybe he’d realize something was wrong—hear them talking, and hesitate. “How could you do this, Tam?” she asked. “Jayveh and I have been your friends—”

“No. You really haven’t been. You both betrayed me when you turned to your husbands instead of upholding our cause.”

“So your response is to kill us?” Jayveh asked, her eyes flickering to Amryn. She felt a stirring of hope; she’d picked up on what Amryn was doing, and she thought Amryn had a plan. Jayveh attempted to do her part to keep Tam talking.

Tam cocked an eyebrow. “What else am I supposed to do with whores of the empire?”

Jayveh snorted. “Saints, you’re insane.”

Tam twisted the blade in her hand as she turned toward them. “I’minsane? You both lost sight ofeverything, butI’mthe one who’s insane?”

“You poisoned a ballroom full of people,” Amryn said.

Tam didn’t respond to that.

Jayveh’s head tipped to the side, making her half-fallen bun look even more crooked. “I’m trying to decide if anything you told me was true. Is your mother even sick?”

Tam’s face flushed. “Don’t youdaremention her.”

Amryn tensed. But Jayveh clearly had her own plan, now—upset Tam to the point of an outburst—because she kept going. “Oh, so sheisreally dying? How sad. Unless of course she’s like you, then her death will be a good thing.”

Tam screamed and flew at Jayveh, her fist cracking against Jayveh’s nose.

The princess fell back against the guard behind her, and though Amryn felt her pain as blood spurted from her nose, she also felt a flash of triumph. “Does screaming help?” Jayveh asked.

Tam’s chest heaved as she growled. “I’m going to enjoy killing you. You’re—”

Something banged against the doors a second before they flew open. Argent and his guards rushed in, and Amryn caught a quick glimpse of other guards fighting Tam’s rebels in the hall.

Whether Argent had heard Tam’s scream, their raised voices, or didn’t recognize the guards, it didn’t matter. He’d known something was wrong, and he and his guards were ready. Argent had a knife in his hand, and when he saw his wife—bound and bleeding—he snapped. He ran for Jayveh, dodging blades and men as his guards converged on the rebels.

Amryn was shoved into the table beside her as her guard entered the fight. Pain blasted her hip, but it was almost lost in the torrent of other emotions that flooded the room. She gasped as she felt someone die, and her stomach lurched. She doubled over and grasped the blade strapped to her calf. Tugging it free, she cut at the bonds that tied her, trying to break them.

Argent roared, and the blade slipped in Amryn’s hand and nicked her palm. Sweat streaked her brow as she looked up and saw Tam had grabbed Jayveh from behind, and she had a knife resting against the princess’s abdomen.

“Stop or she dies!” Tam screamed.

Argent jerked to a stop five paces away. He strangled the knife in his hand, his anger and fear swelling. “Don’t hurt her.”

“Order your men to stop and drop their weapons!”

“Weapons down,” Argent called out.

His guards hesitated.

The prince shot a look around the room. “Put your weapons downnow!”

Blades clanged and rattled as they hit the stone floor, and again when Tam ordered them to kick the weapons aside.

Tam’s eyes flashed to Amryn’s knife, and she dropped it as well. Thankfully, the sharp blade had made a deep tear in her bindings, and with a quick tug she was able to finish freeing her hands. She wasn’t exactly free, though. She was frozen with the rest of the room as Argent turned back to Tam and tossed his own knife aside.

The prince held up both hands. “You’ve got me, Tam. Let the others go. Jayveh, Amryn, the guards . . . they don’t need to be here. You want me.”