The mop handle dug into my palms.
Alpha house had marble floors, three stories of them, and every morning started the same way. Fill the bucket. Wring the mop. Start at the east wing and work west. Don't speak unless spoken to. Don't look at anyone above your station.
I was dressed in the same gray shift all the low-level maids wore. Thin fabric, no pockets, designed to make a person invisible. Which was exactly what I needed to be, because this was Cain's house. Every room, every hallway, every corner brought me closer to the one person who could unravel everything.
I'd been wearing the necklace for five days now. It wasn't just the weight anymore. My arms tired faster on the stairs. My legs cramped after an hour on my knees. Whatever the pendant did to keep Ashen sealed was leaking in
