The scrape of the blade against stone was louder than it should have been, each sound cutting through the thick silence of the hidden chamber. Cassie’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as the shadowed figure advanced, the faint light of Hildiger’s lantern glinting off the curved edge of their weapon.

  They moved with precision, each step deliberate, forcing her and Hildiger toward the far wall. The chamber’s air was heavy with damp and dust, and the scattered documents at their feet became an unwelcome hazard. Cassie adjusted her stance, the weight of her dagger comforting but insufficient against the figure’s broader reach and clear expertise.

  “You should have stayed out of this,” the figure said coldly, their voice distorted by the echo. “Now, you’ve left me no choice.”

  Cassie didn’t respond. Words wouldn’t save her here. She feinted left, testing their reflexes, and found them sharp—too sharp. The figure lashed out, their blade slicing through the air where her shoulder had been moments before.

  Hildiger lunged to intercept, his sword meeting theirs with a harsh clang. The sound reverberated through the chamber, disorienting in the tight space. Cassie darted to the side, using the distraction to search for an opening.

  The attacker was relentless, pressing Hildiger hard with swift, calculated strikes. Sparks flew as their blades collided again and again, the ferocity of the exchange forcing Cassie to retreat further. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for anything she could use to turn the tide.

  Her gaze landed on the overturned table nearby, its edge cracked but jagged. She moved quickly, flipping it upright with a sharp grunt.

  “Hildiger!” she shouted, her voice carrying over the clash of steel.

  The captain ducked just as she hurled the table forward. It slammed into the attacker with a dull thud, knocking them back a step. The momentary advantage allowed Hildiger to pivot, his blade slicing across their arm.

  The figure hissed in pain, stumbling into the shadows. Cassie advanced, dagger raised, but they recovered faster than she expected. A low curse escaped their lips before they flung a vial to the ground. Smoke erupted instantly, choking the air with acrid fumes.

  Cassie coughed, her eyes watering, but her grip on her dagger didn’t falter.

  “Stay sharp!” Hildiger barked, his voice strained.

  Footsteps echoed faintly—the sound of boots approaching fast. Cassie’s pulse quickened, unsure if it was friend or foe. Through the dissipating smoke, she caught a glimpse of the attacker slipping toward the far wall.

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  “Don’t let them escape!” she shouted.

  But the figure moved like a shadow themselves, disappearing into the darkness as the echoes of their steps grew faint.

  Moments later, Callen burst into the chamber, flanked by a trio of guards. Their torches threw flickering light across the chaos: scattered papers, an upended shelf, and the still-swirling smoke.

  “What happened?” Callen demanded, his sword already drawn. His sharp eyes scanned the room, lingering on Cassie’s tense posture and Hildiger’s bloodied sword.

  “An ambush,” Cassie said, swallowing against the dryness in her throat. “They knew we’d be here.”

  Hildiger wiped his blade on a scrap of cloth, his expression grim. “Whoever it was, they’re good. Too good to be working alone.”

  Callen’s gaze fell on the documents strewn across the chamber. He crouched, picking up a page marked with the spiral-and-triangle sigil Cassie had seen earlier. His brow furrowed as he held it closer to the torchlight.

  “What is all this?” he asked, his tone low and grim.

  Cassie stepped forward, her hand brushing over the journal at her side. “Proof,” she said, her voice steady despite the chaos still thrumming in her veins. “Of everything.”

  Back in a secured chamber above ground, the room was quiet save for the faint scratching of quills and the rustle of parchment. Cassie and Hildiger sat at a long table, the recovered evidence laid out before them in meticulous rows. Callen lingered by the door, his arms crossed, his eyes sharp as he watched for intrusions.

  Cassie’s eyes traced the inked words on a ledger. The Velkan Consortium’s name appeared again and again, linked to transactions that defied all logic and legality. Payments to minor nobles, bribes to palace officials, the smuggling of rare artifacts—the list was endless.

  “It’s worse than we thought,” she said finally, her voice low.

  Hildiger leaned back in his chair, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword as though the motion grounded him. “If even half of this is true, we’re looking at treason on a scale this kingdom hasn’t seen in centuries.”

  Cassie nodded, though the weight of agreement pressed hard against her chest. Each discovery felt like another link in a chain too vast to sever.

  The maps offered further clarity—and further horror. Red markers dotted critical locations across Verona: trade hubs, strongholds, key points along the wards. Cassie’s fingers brushed over one such mark near the northern wardline.

  “What’s this?” she asked, tilting the map toward Hildiger.

  He examined it closely, his brow furrowing. “A supply route—one of the oldest. But if this map is accurate, it’s not just a route anymore. They’ve turned it into a chokepoint.”

  Cassie’s stomach twisted. The conspirators weren’t just targeting the monarchy—they were dismantling the kingdom’s lifeblood.

  Among the recovered documents, a single note stood out. The handwriting was fine but hurried, its message coded. Cassie spent an hour working through the cipher, her focus unwavering despite the tension in the room.

  When she finally cracked the message, her breath caught.

  “It’s a timeline,” she said, sliding the paper to Hildiger.

  His eyes scanned the note quickly. “The wards’ collapse,” he said grimly. “They’ve planned it down to the day.”

  A specific date had been marked, coinciding with an upcoming court gathering. The conspirators planned to strike during the kingdom’s most vulnerable moment, using the wards’ failure to ignite chaos and seize control.

  Cassie sat back, her thoughts racing. The scale of the conspiracy was staggering, but the precision of their plan made it all the more terrifying.

  “This isn’t just sabotage,” she said quietly. “It’s a coup.”