Jace reached for his dagger. Maren’s breath caught in her throat.
A soft, steady rhythm.
Too heavy for a rat. Too slow for a patrol.
Jace grabbed her arm and pulled her deeper into the side chamber, behind a stack of crumbled stones and an old wine rack. The torchlight died with a quiet flick of his fingers.
The tunnel plunged into darkness.
Then—
A flicker of light.
Not firelight.
Blue. Cold. Faintly humming.
The glow drifted closer, revealing a figure draped in velvet. Slender. Graceful. Her silhouette smooth and practiced.
Lila’s second personal maid.
But she wasn’t alone.
Hovering behind her was a shimmering shape—half-hidden, almost invisible, like smoke wearing armor.
The maid paused at the chamber’s mouth.
She tilted her head slightly.
And whispered, “I know you’re th
