ASHER
“The trash bins were empty when we found them, Your Majesty,” the guard lamented to me with a bowed head. “We searched high and low. We even checked with the cleaner. He couldn’t find anything either. It seemed that the supposed masked man worked too quickly.”
I released a heavy sigh though I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. I sat back in my chair and fought the urge to grow frustrated.
The guard resumed a more polite posture and waited for my response. When he’d arrived in my study just minutes ago, I’d been hoping for good news. But sure enough, the masked man was far more skillful than I wanted. He had to be, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to hide here in Anemond for so long.
I’d sent a team to investigate Spike’s claim that he’d discarded the books stolen from the ro
