Page 20 of Ember Rising

“We don’t have one yet.” Eli steeples his fingers beneath his chin. “We have people in Carson City. You’ll work with them on your covers and try to make contact with Mae. If you do, we see what she says and what she’s willing to do. Then we go from there.”

Briar sits up straighter, squaring her shoulders. “I’ll go, but I’m not promising to put your mission above my sister’s life.”

“I understand,” Eli says. “But every woman that regime is hurting is someone’s daughter, or sister, or mother. If she doesn’t think she can safely work from the inside, we’ll do everything we can to get her and her kids out. Does that sound reasonable?”

Briar nods, still looking shaken by the news that her sister doesn’t just have one child with Murphy, but two.

Eli turns his attention to me.

“Amira, we’re sending you east. We have a hub where we want you to train our people in archery. You’ll be paired with Evander.”

Fuck that idea. I came back to the mainland to help Briar.

I pause, remembering that I have to keep emotions out of my response. The ILF needs to see that keeping me with Briar will work to their advantage, or it won’t happen.

“Isn’t getting intel from Mae more important?” I ask. “You guys seem to have plenty of guns, and archery doesn’t compare. I work well with Marcus and Briar—they’ll vouch for me.”

Marcus nods. “She’s come in clutch many times.”

“We’ll be stronger if Amira is with us,” Briar says.

Pax scoffs. “How come no one wanted me and Olin? We have skills.”

He’s being flippant, and I’m in no mood.

“Being a pain in the ass isn’t a skill,” Marcus grumbles. “Olin’s the real hero; he’s the one stuck with you.”

I give Evander an imploring look. “Come on. You have better things to do than take me to teach people archery. I’m not even that good.”

“Don’t bother,” Eli says wryly. “We know you actually are that good.”

I glare at my friends individually, wondering which one of the fuckers ratted me out. I deliberately didn’t tell the ILF about the extent of my archery skills.

Then I lock eyes with Evander, who obviously got advance notice of this assignment. He’s not the least bit surprised.

“We go where we’re needed here,” he says levelly.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Marcus and Briar need me. You think two people can fight off cartels with bombs and rifles?”

“You can stay here if you want,” he says. “We always need help in the laundry room and kitchen.”

“Why are you being such an asshole?”

Marcus cuts in. “Amira, keep it cool. And Evander, you know she’s right. Amira trusts us and we trust her. She’s too skilled for teaching archery.”

“It’s not up to him, though,” Eli says. “And Amira, I know you wanted to stay with your friends, but you’re going west with Evander. Or you can work here on the base, like he said. We never force people to go into the field.”

My heart gallops as I become the animal whose fight is making the snare tighten around me. I won’t let them see me cry, but I want to. The only reason I came here was to help Briar, and they want to send the two of us in opposite directions.

“But I hardly even know him,” I say, better arguments eluding me.

“You can rely on him,” Eli assures me.

I balk. “Oh, thanks, guy I just met at the place I’ve been interrogated like a criminal for three days.”

Eli glances at Evander, then says, “Take some time to think about it, Amira. I’m going to take you guys to pick out and test weapons, and we’d like to see what aromium helps you do, too. Pax and Olin, and Marcus and Briar, you’re heading out tomorrow morning.”

I will Briar to tell him she won’t leave without me, but she doesn’t.