CARISSA'S POV
I hurry past servants and guards, making my way to the one place I’ve been avoiding. The servants’ quarters. It’s where the palace staff hide, where rumors spread and where I need to go if I’m to get any closer to finding the stolen book.
It’s risky, but at this point, I’ll take any lead.
I keep my steps light as I walk. I still haven’t told Kaine or Jaime about the attack at the marketplace, and honestly, I can’t. I know they’d insist on protecting me, but there’s something about the danger I’m in that feels personal. I won’t drag them into this. Not yet.
As I approach the small, hidden passage to the servants’ quarters, I pause, pressing my back against the cold stone wall, taking a deep breath..
I reach the door, finding it open. The noise from inside—a low murmur of
