The fetid stench of decay hung in the air of the abandoned undercroft beneath the eastern wing of the Royal Palace. Reed crouched in the shadows, his breathing controlled despite the miasma that surrounded him. Beside him, Shia remained perfectly still, her silver-blue hair concealed beneath a hood of charmed fabric that absorbed light rather than reflecting it.
"Are you certain of what you saw?" Reed whispered, his voice barely audible even in the silence.
Shia nodded once, her eyes never leaving the ornate door across the chamber. "The prince entered this passage three nights consecutively. Each time, he carried a leather-bound case stained with what could only be blood."
