Smoke still clung to the banquet hall like a lingering specter. Cassie stood at the edge of the room, her back against a cold marble column, as nobles argued in hushed tones. Servants darted between toppled tables and broken glass, their faces pale and drawn.

  The captured noble had been dragged off to the dungeons, but not before Cassie searched them thoroughly. Her reward sat heavy in her palm: a sealed letter, its surface embossed with an unfamiliar insignia and bound tightly with a ribbon.

  She had tried to read it, of course, but the text was incomprehensible, a lattice of jagged symbols and intricate lines. An encrypted code, meant for trusted eyes only.

  Cassie’s gaze swept the room. Theodoric stood at the far end, his sword sheathed but his hand resting on the hilt. He was deep in conversation with Dietrich, their words clipped and low. Queen Lyssandra sat nearby, exhaustion evident in the slight droop of her shoulders. Yet, even drained, her presence dominated the space.

  The nobles were less composed. Whispers carried across the hall: accusations of betrayal, theories of conspiracy within the royal family. Cassie caught fragments—mentions of Velkan ties, questions about who could be trusted.

  Her fingers tightened around the letter. Answers wouldn’t come from this crowd.

  The banquet hall’s chaos still echoed in Cassie’s mind as she slipped away, the weight of the sealed letter a constant reminder in her grasp. The nobles’ bickering and Theodoric’s sharp exchanges had offered no clarity, only more questions layered atop an already tangled web.

  If the answers weren’t in their words, perhaps they were in the symbols themselves. Cassie knew one place in the palace where forgotten knowledge lingered, untainted by rumors and schemes.

  With a furtive glance over her shoulder, she headed for the library, the cool stone corridors swallowing her footsteps as the noise of the banquet faded behind her.

  Shadows cloaked the palace’s library, its towering shelves casting jagged silhouettes against the dim glow of the lantern Cassie carried. The faint scent of aged parchment and ink filled the air, a sharp contrast to the tension gripping the rest of the palace.

  The librarian appeared from between two rows of books, her silver hair catching the light. Her eyes, sharp as glass, took in Cassie’s appearance with a raised brow.

  “Unusual for someone in your position to come here at this hour,” the woman said, her tone dry but not unkind.

  Cassie held up the letter. “It’s encrypted. I need it deciphered.”

  The librarian’s lips twitched in something resembling a smile. “I see you don’t waste time on pleasantries.” She gestured toward a desk in the corner. “Sit. This might take a while.”

  Cassie obeyed, placing the letter on the table. The librarian retrieved a thin set of spectacles and a leather-bound tome. Her movements were methodical, precise.

  “You’ve been busy tonight,” the librarian remarked, her eyes never leaving the symbols on the page.

  Cassie didn’t respond. Her attention was divided between the faint rustling of the librarian’s pages and the steady thrum of her own thoughts. Every instinct told her time was running out.

  After a long silence, the librarian spoke again. “It’s a cipher, but one I recognize. This insignia here—” she pointed to the wax seal “—is associated with certain mercantile groups. Or so they claim. Most likely, it’s a cover for something far less legal.”

  “What does it say?”

  Stolen story; please report.

  The librarian ran her finger along the lines of text, her expression darkening. “Coordinates. And instructions for a meeting.” She looked up, her gaze piercing. “It’s set to happen below the palace. Tonight.”

  Cassie’s pulse quickened as the librarian’s words sank in, her mind racing to piece together the implications. Beneath the palace. Tonight. There was no time to waste.

  Grabbing the letter from the table, she offered the librarian a quick nod of thanks before slipping back into the shadowed corridors. The palace felt different now, every flicker of torchlight and distant echo sharpening her focus.

  Whoever had sent the note wasn’t just playing games—they wanted her to find this passage. But why? And more importantly, what—or who—would be waiting when she arrived?

  The weight of the dagger at her hip was a small comfort as she made her way toward the guest wing, the letter’s cryptic promise guiding her steps.

  Cassie moved swiftly through the palace, her steps confident and sure as she wove through familiar corridors with practiced ease. The torchlight flickered against the stone walls, casting shadows that danced in rhythm with her purposeful stride.

  The guest wing stretched out before her, its luxurious halls enveloped in a serene, almost eerie silence. She found the passage exactly where the letter had indicated—a narrow door hidden behind a tapestry depicting some long-forgotten battle.

  The door creaked open, revealing a steep staircase spiraling downward. Cold air wafted up from the depths, carrying the faint scent of damp stone.

  Her hand brushed the hilt of her dagger as she descended. The stairs seemed endless, the walls narrowing with each step. When she reached the bottom, she paused, straining to hear beyond the faint dripping of water.

  Voices drifted through the darkness.

  She followed the sound, her steps silent. The corridor opened into a chamber lit by low-burning torches. Shadows danced across the walls, masking the details of the conspirators gathered there.

  There were more of them than she expected—servants in plain uniforms mingled with finely dressed nobles. The blend of faces was jarring, their shared purpose a stark reminder of how deeply the conspiracy ran.

  Cassie pressed herself against the wall, staying hidden as she listened.

  “The wards are already compromised,” one voice said, smooth and authoritative. “It’s only a matter of maintaining the pressure. By the time anyone realizes what’s happening, the outer defenses will have collapsed entirely.”

  “And the inner wards?” another voice asked.

  A pause. “They’ll fall soon after. The royal family’s magic can only hold so much. Once they’re gone, the rest will crumble like dry leaves.”

  Murmurs of approval rippled through the room.

  Cassie’s pulse quickened.

  “What of the banquet attack?” someone else inquired.

  “It served its purpose,” the leader replied. “A distraction. The divisions in the court are more pronounced than ever, and the queen’s little display of power only delayed the inevitable. Soon, the nobles will see there’s no throne left to fight for.”

  The words twisted in Cassie’s gut, a cold knot forming. She shifted slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the speaker.

  “Tonight,” the leader continued, their tone resolute. “We strike the wards directly. By dawn, the kingdom will be ours.”

  The chamber erupted into quiet cheers.

  Cassie edged backward, her heart pounding. She needed to get out, to warn Theodoric and the others before it was too late.

  Her retreat was halted by the scrape of a boot behind her.

  She froze.

  One of the conspirators had spotted her. Their shout was immediate, a sharp burst of sound that cut through the room like a knife.

  “Someone’s here!”

  Chaos erupted.

  Cassie bolted, her feet pounding against the stone as the chamber behind her filled with noise—shouts, footsteps, the metallic rasp of weapons being drawn.

  The narrow corridor worked to her advantage, forcing her pursuers into a single line. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw the glint of torchlight on steel.

  A figure lunged at her, their blade aimed for her back. She twisted, slamming her elbow into their face and sending them sprawling.

  The passage ahead forked. She chose the left path without hesitation, her breaths ragged. The air grew colder, the walls slick with moisture.

  Another conspirator caught up to her, grabbing at her arm. She spun, her dagger flashing in the dim light. The blade found its mark, and her attacker crumpled with a pained gasp.

  But more followed.

  She kept moving, her focus narrowing to the rhythm of her steps and the twists of the corridor.

  The staircase loomed ahead, a beacon in the darkness. She vaulted up the steps two at a time, her muscles burning with the effort.

  When she reached the top, she slammed the hidden door shut behind her and wedged a nearby candelabra against it.

  Her chest heaved as she leaned against the wall, the weight of the conspirators’ words pressing down on her.

  “Tonight,” she whispered to herself, her voice raw.

  She pushed off the wall, her steps urgent as she raced toward Theodoric’s quarters. The kingdom’s survival hung by a thread, and there was no time to waste.