With a clank, the broken window swung open from the outside. The makeshift latch—nothing more than a few undergarment strings—snapped loose, and the window burst open, letting in unwelcome guests.
One, two, three… One by one, they entered. Liliette had no idea how they had scaled the sheer tower wall. Clad from head to toe in dark clothing that rendered them nearly invisible in the shadows, each carried a weapon at their side—slim, lethal daggers built for silent, certain kills.
A surge of information flooded Liliette’s mind in an instant, causing a sharp pain in her skull. She steadied her swaying body and tried to scream.
“Sentries— mmph!”
Her cry was immediately cut off as the well-trained men closed the distance in a flash and stifled her.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
She struggled, muffled sounds barely escaping her gagged mouth. Her arms flailed, her nails raked at their sleeves, and she kicked her legs, but the men were as immovable as stone.
“Stay still!”
