Were they working toward the same goals, though? Could she—should she—trust Dexter? Her gut instincts insisted he was trustworthy. With the Knights, she’d been told to trust them. However, she always questioned if trusting them was the right thing. Sometimes, it didn’t feel natural to blindly accept their word. With Dexter, those hesitations were gone. “There’s one thing I haven’t told you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m sworn to secrecy.” Although, Ackley had told Gordon and Idina.

“What if you showed me?” he asked, taking a step closer.

He knew—she was sure of it. He’d looked at her wrist once before, as if searching for the Knight’s mark. Maybe his father had told him about the secret organization. Or he could have figured it out. Thinking back, she’d been in bed next to him without her shirt on. Maybe he’d spied her mark then? Or Gytha could have noticed it when Reid removed her tunic to let the warrior woman inspect her injuries. Reid smacked her forehead. She’d forgotten Nara and Joce had helped her bathe. So many people had the opportunity to see the tattoo on Reid’s arm.

Reid needed to tell Dexter. Keeping it from him would only complicate their budding friendship. Besides, the other part of her assignment was to gain his trust. Revealing her tattoo would certainly do that. She pushed her sleeve up, then twisted her arm to expose the rose with a dagger tattooed on the underside near her elbow. His eyes widened slightly, as if he’d suspected but hadn’t honestly believed it until now. Lowering her sleeve, she waited for his verdict, eyes trained on him.

“Thank you for trusting me. Now, I’m going to trust you.”

Colbert pushed off the door, then opened it to reveal another dark hallway. When he stepped inside, Reid followed. Dexter grabbed a torch, then joined them.

Every door that closed behind them had the distinct sound of a bolt sliding into place. No wonder the Knights hadn’t discovered where Dexter was going. This was the only way in—having Reid gain his trust so he’d bring her along. A wave of dizziness washed over her. Feeling faint, she leaned against the wall. “Wait.”

“Are your ribs bothering you?” Dexter asked.

She shook her head. “Something’s wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

Pieces started to fall into place. “I feel like I’ve been put here for a reason.”

“Explain,” Colbert said.

“I don’t have any evidence. It’s just a feeling that someone wanted me to get close to Dexter, to gain his trust, in order for him to bring me here. And I don’t know the reason.”

“Why do you think that?” Dexter asked.