would you have me choose?”
“I can’t tell you what to choose for yourself.”
“No, what would you have me choose for you ? Say that
you were in Thrynne’s position— imprisoned, worse— and
my intervention could help you but hurt our country.
What should I do?”
“Leave me there.”
“Yes,” Tensen said slowly. “That’s what I thought you’d
say.”
Arin threaded fi ngers through his damp hair and
tugged until his scalp hurt. “Are you sure of this news?”
-1—
“My source is good.”
0—
94
“Who?”
+1—
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 94
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 94
9/25/14 2:52 PM
9/25/14 2:52 PM
Tensen waved a hand. “No one important.”
“But who?”
CRIME
“I promised not to tell. Don’t make an old man break
’S
his promises.”
Arin frowned, but said only, “This isn’t the year of
money. And what did Thrynne overhear the emperor and
THE WINNER
Senate leader say?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll fi nd out.”
“Caution, Arin. I myself might have a way.”
“Oh?”
Tensen smiled. “A new recruit.” He refused to say any-
thing more. He found a comfortable position in his chair
and changed the subject in a way that spun Arin’s head.
“Well, I think they make a charming couple.”
“What?”
“The prince and Lady Kestrel.”
Arin had known whom Tensen had meant.
“Their kiss was sweet,” said the spymaster. “One would
assume their marriage was just a po liti cal alliance— I cer-
tainly did, until I saw them kiss.”
Arin stared.
“You must have missed it,” Tensen said. “It was at the
beginning of the ball. But of course you were late.”
“Yes,” Arin said fi nally. “I was.”
—-1
95
—0
—+1
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 95
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 95
9/25/14 2:52 PM
9/25/14 2:52 PM
10
KESTREL CREPT INTO BED AT DAWN, FOOTSORE
from dancing. She hung her unbuckled dagger from its
hook on the bedpost. She shivered, more from fatigue than
cold, as she got beneath the blankets next to Jess. The other
girl lay sleeping, curled on her side.
“Jess,” Kestrel whispered. “I broke your necklace.”
Jess gropingly stretched out her hand and caught Kes-
trel’s. “I’ll make you another one,” she murmured. Eyes
still shut, she frowned. “I saw him at the ball.”
“Who?” But Kestrel knew who, and Jess slipped back
into sleep.
An elite group of courtiers and visiting dignitaries were in-
vited to join Kestrel for hot chocolate in the Winter Gar-
den the morning following the ball. White and gray furs
muffl
ed the ladies, while the men favored sable, except for
-1—
the occasional rakish youth who sported the rusty striped
0—
+1—
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 96
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 96
9/25/14 2:52 PM
9/25/14 2:52 PM
fur of an eastern tiger. Braziers burned throughout the gar-
den’s open patio, which was bounded at the southern end
CRIME
by an evergreen hedge maze.
’S
Kestrel had arrived late, and alone. Despite the meager
rest, she’d woken up a few hours after dawn because her
body knew that she needed to. Jess still slept. Kestrel daw-
THE WINNER
dled in her preparations, changing her dress twice, hoping
that Jess might stir. But she didn’t, and Kestrel was reluctant
to wake her. Finally, she left the suite.
Although the footmen in the Winter Garden should
have announced Kestrel’s presence upon her arrival, she
bribed them not to. She pulled her white furs more closely
about her face and walked alone through a pathway of trees
with sprays of pink and red berries. They were poisonous—
yet beautiful, sprinkled like bright musical notation against
the black bars of branches. Through the trees, Kestrel
watched the party and listened.
Many complained about their dancing blisters. “I’ll
plunge my bare feet right into the snow, to numb them!”
cried a colonial lady from the southern isles.
“Oh no,” smiled a naughty young man. “Let me warm
them
“I can’t tell you what to choose for yourself.”
“No, what would you have me choose for you ? Say that
you were in Thrynne’s position— imprisoned, worse— and
my intervention could help you but hurt our country.
What should I do?”
“Leave me there.”
“Yes,” Tensen said slowly. “That’s what I thought you’d
say.”
Arin threaded fi ngers through his damp hair and
tugged until his scalp hurt. “Are you sure of this news?”
-1—
“My source is good.”
0—
94
“Who?”
+1—
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 94
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 94
9/25/14 2:52 PM
9/25/14 2:52 PM
Tensen waved a hand. “No one important.”
“But who?”
CRIME
“I promised not to tell. Don’t make an old man break
’S
his promises.”
Arin frowned, but said only, “This isn’t the year of
money. And what did Thrynne overhear the emperor and
THE WINNER
Senate leader say?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll fi nd out.”
“Caution, Arin. I myself might have a way.”
“Oh?”
Tensen smiled. “A new recruit.” He refused to say any-
thing more. He found a comfortable position in his chair
and changed the subject in a way that spun Arin’s head.
“Well, I think they make a charming couple.”
“What?”
“The prince and Lady Kestrel.”
Arin had known whom Tensen had meant.
“Their kiss was sweet,” said the spymaster. “One would
assume their marriage was just a po liti cal alliance— I cer-
tainly did, until I saw them kiss.”
Arin stared.
“You must have missed it,” Tensen said. “It was at the
beginning of the ball. But of course you were late.”
“Yes,” Arin said fi nally. “I was.”
—-1
95
—0
—+1
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 95
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 95
9/25/14 2:52 PM
9/25/14 2:52 PM
10
KESTREL CREPT INTO BED AT DAWN, FOOTSORE
from dancing. She hung her unbuckled dagger from its
hook on the bedpost. She shivered, more from fatigue than
cold, as she got beneath the blankets next to Jess. The other
girl lay sleeping, curled on her side.
“Jess,” Kestrel whispered. “I broke your necklace.”
Jess gropingly stretched out her hand and caught Kes-
trel’s. “I’ll make you another one,” she murmured. Eyes
still shut, she frowned. “I saw him at the ball.”
“Who?” But Kestrel knew who, and Jess slipped back
into sleep.
An elite group of courtiers and visiting dignitaries were in-
vited to join Kestrel for hot chocolate in the Winter Gar-
den the morning following the ball. White and gray furs
muffl
ed the ladies, while the men favored sable, except for
-1—
the occasional rakish youth who sported the rusty striped
0—
+1—
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 96
135-58876_ch01_2P.indd 96
9/25/14 2:52 PM
9/25/14 2:52 PM
fur of an eastern tiger. Braziers burned throughout the gar-
den’s open patio, which was bounded at the southern end
CRIME
by an evergreen hedge maze.
’S
Kestrel had arrived late, and alone. Despite the meager
rest, she’d woken up a few hours after dawn because her
body knew that she needed to. Jess still slept. Kestrel daw-
THE WINNER
dled in her preparations, changing her dress twice, hoping
that Jess might stir. But she didn’t, and Kestrel was reluctant
to wake her. Finally, she left the suite.
Although the footmen in the Winter Garden should
have announced Kestrel’s presence upon her arrival, she
bribed them not to. She pulled her white furs more closely
about her face and walked alone through a pathway of trees
with sprays of pink and red berries. They were poisonous—
yet beautiful, sprinkled like bright musical notation against
the black bars of branches. Through the trees, Kestrel
watched the party and listened.
Many complained about their dancing blisters. “I’ll
plunge my bare feet right into the snow, to numb them!”
cried a colonial lady from the southern isles.
“Oh no,” smiled a naughty young man. “Let me warm
them
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