CHAPTER 69: SERAPHINE
HAZEL'S POV
The refined, slick black glass and elegant crimson lanterns of Veylan's upper court vanished almost immediately as we descended into the true underbelly of the Sovereign Dominion of Nocturne.
The high-stakes rescue mission began in the lower blood tunnels of Nocturne. Down here, deep within the subterranean faults beneath the palace, the air was entirely different. It was warm, thick, and suffocating, smelling heavily of copper, stagnant water, and centuries of unwashed rot. The polished obsidian of the upper levels was replaced by rough-hewn volcanic stone that sweated grease and moisture under our boots. There were no beautifully robed aristocrats smiling too slowly down here; instead, I saw the uglier, raw side of vampire society laid bare in the flickering shadows.
