Page 156 of Esperance

They all turned to see a male cleric pushing up from the floor. He’d been lying in the corner, and he was pale and shaking. Blood stained his robe and he was clutching his stomach.

“Felinus!” Amryn darted toward the cleric, hurrying to kneel beside him so she could help him sit with his back to the wall.

He sucked in a brittle breath, and his eyes were cloudy. “I tried—to stop them.”

Carver knelt beside Amryn. He wanted to hold her, to reassure himself that she was really all right, but there wasn’t time. “Cleric, which way did they go?”

“To the back. Past the special collections . . . there’s another exit.”

“I know where that is.” Jayveh straightened. “But we need to alert the perimeter guard. Tam has a knife in Argent’s side, and she’s using him as a shield.”

“On it.” Ford bolted out the main doors.

Carver shoved to his feet. “Amryn, Jayveh, stay here.”

Jayveh didn’t even bother to argue—she just started running toward the back of the library, her hand still pressed to her side. The guards fell in behind her, and Carver muttered a curse.

Amryn squeezed Felinus’s shoulder. “Help will be coming soon. Just hold on.”

The cleric made no response as she stood and darted after Jayveh and the others.

Carver fell into step with her, and he didn’t miss her wince. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“Fine. Well,” she snorted, “not really. Tam poisoned the wine.”

“I know.”

She shot him a surprised look. “You’re rather calm about it.”

“I’m good at prioritizing.”

They tore past rows of darkened bookshelves, heading toward the back of the library. Amryn’s breaths were heavy as she said, “I’ve got one dose of the antidote in my pocket. Tam offered it to Jayveh in exchange for Argent’s compliance, and he didn’t hesitate.”

Of course he hadn’t.

“Jayveh hasn’t taken it?” he asked.

“No, she—” Amryn doubled over with a sharp cry.

Carver caught her as her knees gave out. His own stomach burned, but whatever she was feeling was clearly much worse. She was smaller—perhaps it made sense the poison might overtake her first.

Terror gripped him. “Amryn? Amryn!”

Distantly, he heard Jayveh scream in agony.

Tears rolled down Amryn’s cheeks as she peered up at him, her body wracked with spasms. “Take the antidote—to—Jayveh.”

Everything was happening too quickly. They were losing Argent, the poison was attacking, and he didn’t know if anyone in the ballroom had figured out a cure.

The woman he loved was dying in his arms, and she wanted him to give away the only thing that could save her.

“Pocket,” Amryn gasped. “In—my—pocket.”

He searched for her pocket. It was small and hard to find, but he managed to tear out the contents.

A tarnished coin, an ugly amulet with a black stone, and a vial of liquid that was far too small.

He made a split-second decision.