She could feel the pulse pounding in her temple and hear it in her ears—shush . . . shush . . . shush. They’d hidden the plans from her, and he’d not stopped them, which begged the question . . . Why am I here?

“Are you not one of my most trusted lieutenants?” he said, his voice tinged with judgment, although good or bad she could not tell.

“I . . . I hope so,” she stammered.

“You hope so, or you know so?”

“I wouldn’t want to be presumptuous . . . I’m just one of many, serving our Dark Prince.”

He was at her side in a heartbeat, moving with supernatural speed. He grabbed her by the chin and tilted her face up to look at his, the long nails on his bony fingers digging into her cheeks.

“Look at us,” he said, his voice a chorus.

She met his gaze of fire and ice and wondered if this was it for her. So far, she’d failed to deliver on her secret assignment to ensure the young Watcher’s demise. Maybe he’d finally had enough. But what was she supposed to do? The Yarnell girl had stubbornly not left campus since he’d given her the tasking. Besides, these things took time, especially trying to seduce marks as capable and noble as Jedidiah Johnson.

“I sense a waning of your commitment to the cause,” he hissed.

When he didn’t release his grip, she said, “No, I assure you I’m fully committed. I believe I’ve had some breakthroughs. I’m making progress. Earning their trust.”

“But you’re hoping the burden of eliminating the child will be lifted from you?” he said. She could feel him inside her, his presence nauseating. “You find it distasteful. You want someone else to do it . . .”

“A part of me, yes,” she said, knowing that lying to him was pointless. “I was never comfortable with the assignment. She’s only a child, after all.”

“Pffft—ignore the vessel. She’s a warrior, not a child.” His eyes narrowing to slits, he added, “Empathy is the weapon of the enemy. Promise us you’ll never forget that, Maria.”

“I promise,” she said and felt her legs trembling beneath her.

He released his grip on her face. “The time has come to escalate. Plans are already underway, as you can see. You still have a role to play in the girl’s demise, and your service will be rewarded.”

She felt a tear chasing down her cheek and slip over her jawline . . . Strange, because she hadn’t felt herself tearing up.

She touched her cheek with her fingertips, and they came away with a crimson smear.

“Oh, look what we’ve done,” Victor said, smiling without apology.

She cast her eyes down and said nothing.

“Now,” he said, turning and pacing away. “Let’s talk about your role in the upcoming operation . . .”