CHAPTER 25: The Quiet Blade
Night settled over the capital like a held breath. The castle slept—or pretended to. May moved through the corridors alone, her steps measured, her cloak drawn low. She had told no one. Not Ze. Not Xander. Not even K. If she was wrong, no one else would fall with her. She replayed everything in her mind: Zayn collapsing. The poison. The financial advisor’s voice—too calm, too eager to redirect fear. She stopped at a junction and pressed her palm lightly against the wall. A faint glow responded. Zayn had once shown her how to sense residue—not mana, but intent. Poison carried intent. Betrayal left echoes. And there it was. Thin. Sharp. Recent. May’s breath slowed. “The kitchens,” she whispered. The castle kitchens were quiet at that hour. Only a single lantern burned. A lone
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