Page 173 of Esperance

Well, he certainly didn’t likethat. “What happened?”

She sighed. “He knows I’m an empath.”

Denial ripped through him. “That’s impossible. He can’t know that.”

“He used to be a knight. He could sense my empathic ability the moment he met me. But that’s not the worst part.”

Apprehension tightened his voice. “There’s a worse part?”

“Felinus doesn’t want to hurt me. He could have turned me in long ago, but he didn’t. He came to warn me. He said the high cleric has been asking questions about the number of people who were miraculously healed last night.” Fear sparked in her eyes. “Carver, when I was healing everyone, I wasn’t thinking. I was just using the power, and . . . I healed people that should have died. Felinus was only one of them. I’ve never done anything so reckless. I don’t know why I didn’t think about the fact that someone would notice. But the high cleric knows there’s an empath here. He’s already called for the Knights.”

His body locked. The Order of Knights defended the church and trained empath hunters. Rivard’s brothers were knighted, and he’d told stories of some hunts they’d been on. They learned ways to detect empaths, though Rivard had never known the details.

If they were coming to Esperance, looking for an empath . . .

Carver reached out, twisting his fingers around hers. He hated how cold her hand was. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll be gone in the morning. We’ll miss them.”

“But if they don’t find an empath here, won’t the high cleric have us all checked once we’re at the capital?” Her voice shook, her words coming too fast. “Carver, I can’t go to Craethen. It’s the heart of the empire. I can’t go with you.”

He leaned in, making their eyes level. “Amryn, listen to me. I know you’re afraid. But we’re not separating. I’m not letting you go, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Carver—”

“No.” He gripped her hand more tightly. “I can protect you.”

“Not from this. Not from them.” Her eyes were frantic, but her words were horribly sure. “If they find me, theywillkill me. And they’ll have the emperor’s blessing.”

“That won’t happen.” He wouldn’tletthat happen. He wasn’t going to lose her. Not to the Knights, or the Rising, or her fears.

They were staying together.

She met his gaze, and he swore he could hear the pounding of her heart. “I can’t stay in the capital.”

“Then we won’t.”

She blinked. “But, we’re all supposed to report to the emperor—”

“We will. But we won’t linger. We’ll leave as soon as we can—before any knights can be summoned.”

“And go where?”

“Westmont.” There was no debate there. He needed to know Amryn was in a safe place, and his family offered that security.

Amryn didn’t look convinced, but she must have decided to accept it for now. “We have another problem. Felinus told me that the strange gem in that amulet is a bloodstone.” She flipped up a hand, stalling his question. “I don’t really know what that is, so I can’t explain well. Felinus doesn’t know much, either.” She pointed to the book beside her. “I found this in the museum archives. It belonged to Saul Von.”

Thatwas a name he knew. “The empath who killed Argent’s parents and grandmother.”

Amryn nodded. “He was a terrible man, and his journal is mostly incoherent. But he was documenting everything he could about bloodstones. He was trying to find them. There are supposed to be five of them, and Felinus said they’re a weapon that empaths found a way to make.” She looked right at him. “Where is the amulet?”

It was suddenly heavy in his pocket. He pulled it out, along with her odd coin. He knew that tarnished coin meant a great deal to her, because she relaxed the moment her eyes fell on it.

She took the coin first, her fingers rubbing across the worn surface before she pushed it into her pocket. He wanted to ask her about it, but that would have to wait. She took the necklace.

As soon as she touched it, it glowed bright, then dimmed to a more natural crimson sheen.

“Whatisit?”

She glanced at him. “I really don’t know. I found it in a cave on Zawri. It . . . sort of hummed. Like it was calling to me. I don’t understand it, but it’s like I can sense something from it. Like it’s alive, but not.”