The banquet hall smelled of death and spiced wine. Servants moved in silence, gathering shattered glass and overturning bodies, their eyes carefully avoiding the Queen's dais.
Kai stood with Velis, Astra, and Lyra in a tight knot near the far wall. None of them had sheathed their weapons yet.
A royal page approached, bowing low. "Her Majesty requests your immediate presence… privately."
Velis' jaw tightened. "That's either a reward or a trap."
"Sometimes both," Astra murmured, wiping the last streak of blood from her rapier.
Lyra didn't say anything, but Kai felt her watching him. Always watching.
They followed the page through a set of heavy oak doors that closed behind them with a deep thunk. The sound reminded Kai of a tomb being sealed.
The corridors beyond the banquet hall were empty, lit only by wall sconces that burned with steady, golden light. The air was cooler here, carrying the faint scent of lavender — an almost absurd contrast to the carnage they'd left behind.
