I arrived at the Ashworth estate in upstate New York just as dawn broke. It was the end of a long, grueling journey from the secret medical facility. I traveled alone, relying only on the most convincing disguise I could craft in a few hours: Cassian Ashworth, returning as a broken man seeking family sanctuary.
I slipped through the side door I'd intentionally left ajar—a small trick I'd learned from Agent D. The air inside the house was damp and silent. The scent of dried jasmine pierced my nostrils, the signature aroma that always reminded me of the Grandmistress.
"Grandmistress," I called out softly, my voice sounding foreign in the vast hallway. "It's me. Cassian."
Silence answered for several eternal seconds. Then, hasty footsteps sounded from the library.
Grandmistress Ashworth e
