Actually, she wasn’t sure.

She hadn’t communicated telepathically with Tam very often, so she didn’t know how to recognize his thoughts the way she could with Fitz and Keefe.

TAM! PLEASE, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!

A headache prickled the edge of her consciousness, but she gave herself several long, slow breaths and timed her next transmissions with each exhale, keeping the message shorter to save her energy.

Tam.

Tam!

TAM!

Still nothing—and she could feel her concentration draining to the dregs.

If Fitz were there, he could’ve given her a mental boost, the way he always did when they worked together. But she’d let her silly matchmaking worries keep him away. She had to stop that—had to figure out how to keep things balanced and—

Sophie?

The voice was a ghost in the shadows—cold and whispery.

TAM!

Yeah. But I shouldn’t be talking to you like this. It’s way too dangerous.

I know, but—

There’s no “but,” Tam interrupted, and the feel of his thoughts shifted with the words, like the darkness was crystalizing into ice. Gethen checks my memories constantly.

Sophie’s heart screeched to a stop.

She’d forgotten that the Neverseen’s only Telepath had been in the Black Swan’s custody when Keefe had been living with the enemy. So they hadn’t had to worry about anyone discovering their conversations unless someone caught them in the act and somehow figured out what was happening.

They also hadn’t had to worry about Keefe unwittingly revealing anything he wasn’t supposed to.

Has Gethen probed your mind? she asked, trying to keep the transmission as quiet as possible.

Of course. That was the first thing he did.

Bile burned Sophie’s throat.

Probing was a type of deep mental search that could uncover pretty much anything when performed by a skilled Telepath.

And Tam knew all of their secrets.

All.

Of.

Them.

So if Gethen had probed his mind…

Then the Neverseen now knew that Sophie was an Enhancer. And that Mr. Forkle was still technically alive—and that Magnate Leto and Sir Astin were two of his alter egos. And that Granite and Squall—two other members of the Black Swan’s Collective—were Sir Tiergan and Juline Dizznee. And they knew every single lead that Sophie and her friends had uncovered—and everything they didn’t know as well, like how to open Councillor Kenric’s cache if they ever got their hands on the real one again. And how little Sophie had learned, from healing Prentice’s mind and from searching Wylie’s memories, about what had happened the day Wylie’s mom died.

This is so bad, she thought, reaching up to rub her temples.

Did Tam know where they’d hidden her human family after they’d rescued them from Nightfall?

And how much did he know about the security at Havenfield?

Were Silveny, Greyfell, and the babies still safe there?

I’m sorry, Tam’s mind murmured, and the frigidness of his voice thawed a little. I tried to block him, but… Gethen’s too powerful.

He was.

Sophie had faced off against him several times, and it had never gone well—and she was a Telepath with an impenetrable mind.

It’s not your fault, she promised, wanting to punch herself for not figuring this out earlier. If she had, they could’ve started taking precautions from the moment Tam had left.

Actually, she should’ve thought of it before he turned himself over. Maybe he wouldn’t have gone if he’d known how much he was going to compromise the Black Swan in the process. After all, Tam had been to some of the Black Swan’s hideouts. He knew the oath they made when they swore fealty, and what weapons and fighting techniques Sophie and her friends had been practicing during their battle training, and—

Yeah, Tam thought, interrupting her ever-spiraling panic. Now you get why I can’t talk. He’s going to know everything you tell me, and he’s already learned enough.

Okay. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she couldn’t change what had already happened.

Time to focus on damage control.

You can still tell ME something, she reminded him. Even if they know you told me, they’ll have to change their plans—and that’ll buy us some time.

His thoughts froze again. Uh, you think they tell me anything important?

There must be something. Maybe some clue to where you are, like a landmark you recognize?

Nope. I’m in a cave. All I’ve seen are rocks.

What color are they?

They’re rocks, Sophie. There’s nothing special about them.

Are you sure it’s a cave and not somewhere underground?

Underground might mean he was close to Loamnore.

I don’t know. All I can tell is that it’s dark and stuffy.

So it’s hot? Like… maybe you’re in a desert?

I seriously have no idea. The Neverseen are smart. They’re not going to let me learn anything that would give their hideout away. His mental voice stayed soft and whispery, but there was a sharpness to his thoughts that Sophie had never experienced. It felt like each word was a shard of darkness, slicing into her head.

But she wasn’t going to let him scare her away. Have you met any other members of the order?

A couple—but they wear cloaks and use code names, and barely say two words to me when we train, so I can’t tell you anything about them.

Wait—you’re training with them? Does that mean there’s another Shade?

No. I don’t know what these guys can do. Or maybe they’re female. I can’t tell. Lady Gisela keeps me alone in a corner, practicing from Umber’s journals.

A shiver rippled down Sophie’s spine. Umber had journals?

Lots of them. And I have to work through all of her exercises.

Well… that was terrifying.

What kind of exercises? Sophie asked—and when he hesitated, she added, Shadowflux training, right?

Obviously.

The response bothered her more than a single word should—but it was the icy confidence behind it.

The Tam she knew had been reluctant to train in the dark element. Almost afraid of its strange power. And now he sounded… proud.

You need to be careful, she warned him. You don’t know how Umber’s training will affect you. She was one of the creepiest people I’ve ever met.

The bones in her hand throbbed, remembering the way Umber had shattered them one by one.

I AM being careful, Tam assured her. But the training is unavoidable.

Then tell me what they’re having you do so I can figure out what they’re planning and get you out of there. You’re already going to be in trouble for talking to me, right? Why not make it worth it?

Uh, because they can make their punishments WAY worse.

Don’t worry—Linh’s safe. Tiergan’s added a ton of security to his house to make sure of it.

You and I both know that doesn’t mean anything. And even if she IS okay right now, they have plenty of ways they can punish ME.

Sophie was certain they did. And she hated putting him in that position. But leaving him with the Neverseen was feeling beyond scary. She had to find a way to get him out of there, before they made him do something terrifying.

Please, she begged. You know what’s at stake—especially if you’re studying Umber’s journals.