CHAPTER 22: Beneath the Surface
May didn’t wait for permission. She and Ze moved through the castle corridors long after midnight, when the capital slept and secrets felt safer. Torches burned low, shadows stretching across stone walls like they were listening. “The poison wasn’t meant to kill him quickly,” Ze said under his breath. “It’s calculated.” “That’s what scares me,” May replied. “Whoever did this knew exactly what Zayn is.” They stopped outside the kitchens. The air smelled faintly of herbs and smoke, but beneath it—something sharp. Chemical. Wrong. Ze crouched near the preparation table, fingers glowing faintly as he traced lingering mana. There’s residue here. Not monster-made. May’s jaw tightened. “Someone ordered it.” They questioned the night chef first. He was nervous. Too nervous. “I—I was tol
- Writer
