The chains broke open just like that, and the guards were rushing toward me all at once.
They moved quick, hands reaching out, their metal gear clanging everywhere, boots pounding the stone floor hard enough to shake through me.
And there was Clars body, still lying right in the middle of it all.
Her hair covering part of her face, that ugly purple rope mark around her neck, it looked like some kind of sign they left on purpose.
My dagger was up in the air, the guard leader holding it high like he owned it now.
"Lady Seraphinas blade," he said louder this time, making sure everyone heard, as if once wasnt bad enough.
Adrian wasnt even glancing at Clar anymore, his eyes fixed on me instead.
He had this smile, like the whole thing was already over for him.
"Oh, Seraphina," he said in that soft voice. "Did you silence your own witness."
My mouth just hung open, but no words came.
Panic filled my throat, mixed with all the rage, and I could still feel the stone under my knees from before.
Cassian had his sword raised, standing right in front of me, facing down a bunch of men like he could stop them alone even if he got hurt.
The Nocten soldiers grabbed my arms tight.
"Move," one whispered right in my ear, his voice sharp.
I tripped back toward that hidden panel in the wall, what they called the vault passage, like it was just another door.
It was already open, leading into pure dark.
Not the nice kind, more like it swallowed everything up.
An imperial guard came at me fast.
Cassian swung.
The slash wasnt too deep, but the guy yelled and dropped back, holding his arm.
Blood splattered on the floor.
Adrians eyes got this bright look, like he was thrilled.
"There," he called out so everyone heard. "He draws blood. Treason."
The Chamberlain barked, "Seize Duke Nocten."
The imperial guards rushed in.
Cassian didnt back up.
He actually moved closer, like he dared them.
"You want me," he said, keeping calm. "Then step into my reach."
Nobody took him up on it.
They werent fools.
But they didnt mind going for me instead.
I hated them for that.
And I hated myself more, for being the one they could take easy.
The Nocten soldier pulled me toward the passage harder.
"Now, my lady."
"Im not," I tried to say.
He didnt let me finish, his voice rough. "If you want to argue, do it while breathing."
Breathing, yeah, that was the key right then.
My boots dragged on the stone as I stumbled back.
Another guard lunged for my cloak.
He caught the fabric with his fingers.
I yanked away, and the hood ripped half off.
Cold air slapped my face.
All those eyes turned on me, staring.
Adrians look got sharper, like he enjoyed me like that, out in the open.
Cassians voice sliced through. "Get her through."
A Nocten soldier pushed me into the dark.
My shoulder hit the wall inside, pain shooting up.
I bit my lip to stay quiet, no dumb noises.
Behind, the corridor blew up with yells.
"Block the passage."
"By imperial authority."
"Cut them down."
Steel hit steel.
Bodies crashed.
The panel began sliding shut.
I reached out, fingers grabbing at the edge in the dark.
No, not yet.
Cassian was out there still.
I couldnt see, but it felt wrong, like the worst wasnt over.
I tried holding the panel back.
A soldier caught my wrist, pulled it away.
"Dont," he said quick. "He ordered."
"Hes," my voice broke. "Hes still there."
The soldier didnt budge.
"Hes still alive," he said. "Trust that. Move."
Trust, I almost laughed at the idea.
I wanted to yell everything.
But the noise from the corridor got louder, closing in.
So my feet started moving.
We ran, nothing pretty about it, nothing brave.
Just scrambling away.
The passage squeezed tight, stone rough under my boots, walls cold and wet with who knows what.
One lantern way ahead, swinging in a soldiers hand.
It made shadows jump around ugly.
My breaths came too loud in my ears.
"Where are we going," I managed to get out.
"Vault route," he said. "Inner exit. Dont talk."
"I have to, Clar."
"Shes dead," he cut in sharp. "Keep moving."
Those words landed hard, like they shouldnt have.
I mean, I knew it already.
But saying it out loud twisted my gut worse.
Clar gone, and my dagger right there with her.
They were putting together this whole lie, piece by piece.
Poison, murder, running away.
It fit too perfect.
I pushed harder, running faster.
My cut finger throbbed with each step, blood still fresh in my mind from that contract seal, and now my name dragged dirty again.
We turned left, down some steps, left once more.
The air felt heavier, more like underground.
Damp, old metal smell, like a forgotten basement.
Up ahead, a heavy door, half behind crates.
The soldier shoved it open.
We went through.
It clunked shut behind.
Quiet for a second, but tense quiet, the kind you hold your breath in.
The room opened up a bit.
Low ceiling pressing down.
Long table with maps, racks of weapons, crates marked with the wolf sign.
Some kind of hidden bunker, war setup below ground.
The lantern guy hooked it up and faced me.
"Sit," he said, like an order.
I couldnt.
Hands shaking bad, if I sat down, maybe I wouldnt get up.
"Cassian," I asked, voice pitching high. "Where is he."
His jaw set.
"Not here yet."
Yet, that word made everything worse.
I paced a couple steps, then stopped, room too small for that.
"Adrian is up there," I said, talking to myself mostly. "With the Chamberlain, they have Clars body, my dagger, they."
"They have a story," he interrupted. "Yes. Thats the point."
My mouth dried up.
I stared.
"You knew," I said quiet.
He didnt flinch. "We suspected something. Not the maid exactly, but yeah."
My throat hurt.
Always suspecting, always a step behind.
I hit the table with my palm.
"Then why let her die."
His face went stone. "Watch your tone."
"She was."
"A pawn," he said fast. "So are you. Me too. Want to live, stop yelling at the pieces."
I stopped cold, breath caught.
Pawn.
Clar a pawn.
Me too.
Cassian, what was he then, the one moving things, or cutting them loose.
My stomach flipped.
I stepped back from the table like it stung.
Another soldier came in from a side door, out of breath.
"Report," the first one said.
"Imperials sealing upper levels," the new guy rushed. "Searching everything. Chamberlain said execute on sight for resisters."
Execute on the spot.
My knees buckled, I grabbed the table.
"Cassian," I said. "Where."
The second guy swallowed.
"Hes holding them off," he said. "Buying time."
Buying time, with his own blood probably, his position, his blade.
I hated how my chest hurt over it.
Hated caring at all.
I still saw his sword dropping in my head.
It spun me around inside.
The first soldier came closer, voice low.
"My lady, if the Duke doesnt make it."
"Dont," I said sharp.
He kept going anyway, eyes steady. "Then you move on. House Nocten plan."
Contingency, like I was just cargo.
I swallowed.
"Whats the exit."
He pointed back.
Narrow arch, iron door, bolts thick.
"Tunnel to old treasury," he said. "Out past inner district."
Outside the palace.
Away from Adrian.
But away from any way to fight back now.
No proof left.
My gut knotted.
Running would look like guilt.
Staying meant death.
Hands balled up.
"Clars body," I muttered. "They used her like that."
The second soldier sounded tight. "They always do."
I wanted to hit something.
Everyone.
Instead, "My dagger, howd they get it."
The first one glanced at my feet.
Oh.
It hit me.
Grabbed, pulled around, someone could have taken it easy.
Or worse.
Back in the corridor, the leader with it, so sure.
They planned this.
Maybe had a fake one, but with Clars body and mine.
No accident.
Throat closed.
"Cassian has to know this."
"He does," the soldier said flat.
"You cant be sure."
"He knows," he repeated, like obvious. "Duke reads situations better than anyone."
I hated hearing it.
Probably right though.
Footsteps thumped above, far off through the stone.
Shouts too, distant.
The room soldiers tensed up.
The first one took my elbow. "We go. Now."
"Im not leaving him," I pulled back.
He held on.
"You die here, you leave nothing," he said back.
"I would rather."
"Dont be dumb," he cut in, harsh. "Revenge needs you alive. Tomorrow."
Revenge.
That word changed it, made my chest ache different.
I looked at the tunnel door.
Then them.
"Where does it come out," I asked.
"Old magistrate place," the second said. "Empty now."
"And after."
"Carriage, maybe."
If we could.
Nothing sure.
Of course not.
I made my hands stop shaking.
"Fine. But if Cassian."
"He will or he wont," the first said. "We follow the plan."
Execute again, that word.
I jerked, hated the flinch.
We headed to the iron door.
He unlocked it with a key from his belt.
Scraped open.
Cold rushed out, like from deep down.
Into the tunnel.
Lower than before, rough walls, old marks like hacked quick.
Lantern bounced light around.
My boots hit water, shallow puddles.
Great, mud if not blades.
We went fast, not full run, too loud, too risky.
But lungs burned anyway.
The front soldier kept looking back, waiting for trouble.
I listened too, couldnt help it.
Every echo like steps.
Every drop like chains.
Stomach up in my throat.
"Adrian will pin Clars death on me," I said out sudden, had to.
He didnt answer right away.
Then, "Yes."
"And theyll buy it."
"Yes."
"The physician too."
"Yes," impatient now.
"Stop with the yes like its easy."
He turned quick, almost bumped me.
Face hard in the light.
"My lady, feelings arent plans."
I went still.
He walked on.
I followed, jaw tight, hurting.
Fine.
Plan then.
Push past the fear.
Clar dead, dagger planted, cutting off anyone who saw, making me the killer.
Need someone they cant just erase.
Not alone, not low.
Someone high, that vanishes and causes mess.
Noble, captain, priest maybe.
I didnt have that.
Cassian might.
The one who finished me before.
Holding what I could use.
Hated this whole mess.
Tunnel bent.
Passed a grate, dark side way.
He skipped it.
Kept on.
Then, there.
Boots behind.
Not ours, not water.
Real boots.
Breath stuck.
Grabbed his sleeve.
He froze.
"What," he whispered.
"Listen."
He did.
Closer now.
Face set.
Signaled light down.
Lantern shaded, just a sliver.
Tunnel went dim gray.
We hugged the wall.
I held breath.
Boots nearer.
Low voice.
"This way. Vault passage they said."
Another, higher. "If Nocten is hiding her."
Imperials.
Found us.
Gut sank, dizzy almost.
Soldier mouthed, stay.
Wanted to bolt.
But stayed, they knew what to do, I was just along.
They passed close, smell of sweat, leather in the damp.
One stopped.
Heart pounded.
Heard something, he muttered.
No.
The soldier reached slow for knife.
Not sword, too much noise.
Guard stepped our way.
Couldnt breathe.
He bent, looked at floor.
My boot print there.
Stupid.
He stood, voice up. "Tracks."
Soldier lunged.
Hand over mouth, knife quick across.
Blood warm on my sleeve.
Guard dropped.
Other yelled, "What."
Chaos blew up.
Steel out, boots pounding, yells echoing.
They grabbed me.
"Run."
I slipped, caught wall, hands scraped.
More behind, voices.
"After them."
"Dont let her."
"She killed one."
Twist in gut.
Theyd say it was me.
Even my hands clean.
Throat raw from running.
Fork ahead.
He cursed, pulled left.
Narrower.
Dead end.
Heart quit.
But he pushed wall, swung open.
Another secret.
Nocten full of them.
Through, shut it.
Dark total.
No light.
Just his curse, my breaths.
Groped along, wall guiding.
Opened to chamber.
Ladder up, hatch.
He worked latch.
Clicked.
Lifted bit.
Gray light in.
Not full day.
He looked.
Dropped it fast.
"What," I whispered.
"Someone up," he breathed.
Gut fell.
Imperials, maybe.
Boots back in tunnel, closing.
Trapped.
Hands to mouth, quiet breaths.
He faced me.
"One shot," he whispered. "Single guard, we get him. More, then."
Stopped.
Voice from above.
Clear, male, calm.
Not yelling.
Not Adrian.
"Open it. I know youre there."
Froze.
His hand to knife.
"Who," he called low.
Pause.
"House Nocten knows me."
Gut clenched.
Knew that voice.
From before, courtyard, blade ready.
Cassian.
But no.
He was upstairs fighting.
Buying time.
Unless not.
Taken, or trick.
Throat tight.
Voice colder.
"Open, or I pull your people out slow."
Not Cassian.
He was straight.
This played dramatic.
Imitating.
Blood cold.
Soldier looked, waiting on me.
Like I knew.
Just a girl, died once already.
"Dont," I whispered. "Not him."
Eyes narrowed.
Then latch turned outside.
Slow, careful.
Like key.
Access.
Betrayal.
Hatch up.
Light down.
Face in gap.
Not Cassian.
Young guy.
Clean.
Dark hair.
Mole by mouth.
Infirmary pin.
Soren.
Smile like we were caught.
"Lady Seraphina," soft. "His Highness sends regards."
Shadows behind, chains rattling.