The morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains of the suite, casting long, pale streaks across the carpet. Sarah, a young maid with nervous eyes and the only servant in the entire mansion who had ever shown Evelina true kindness, approached the door with a tray of warm bread and fresh milk. Her hands trembled; she had heard the rumors of the "Valerius " guarding the room and the decapitated puppet in the garden.
"Stand back," the Valerius guard at the door commanded, his voice like grinding gravel.
"I... I only brought breakfast for the young miss," Sarah squeaked, clutching the tray.
Inside the room, the commotion stirred Lucius. He had spent the night on the velvet sofa, his long legs cramped and his hand never far from his sword. He stood up, shaking off the remnants of a light sleep and opened the door. The sight of him—tall, imposing and with the sharp eyes of a man who hadn't truly rested—made Sarah gasp.
