The archives stretched before Cassie, vast and filled with records that seemed to reach back centuries. Her lantern flickered, casting dancing shadows across the shelves. The air carried the scent of old parchment and ink, laced with a faint chill from the stone walls.

  She barely registered the sound of footsteps behind her until a figure appeared at the edge of her light. Cassie turned, her hand moving instinctively to the dagger at her hip, but the figure wasn’t a threat.

  Callen stood there, watching her. “Hildiger sent me,” he said quietly. “He wants me to keep an eye on you.”

  Cassie blinked, then sighed, turning her attention back to the record in front of her. “I’m fine on my own,” she said, her voice steady but not unkind. She wasn’t used to having company during these late-night searches, but she’d learned not to waste energy on arguments that wouldn’t matter in the long run.

  Callen gave a slight nod. “Hildiger disagrees.” He stepped closer, careful not to crowd her. “I’m just here to help, if you need it.”

  Cassie hesitated, then shrugged as she continued reading the ledger. “Alright. Just don’t make a habit of it.”

  They worked in silence for a time, pulling records and cross-referencing names. The hours dragged on, each discovery leading to more questions. Finally, Cassie paused, her gaze lingering on a ledger bearing the insignia of the Velkan Consortium.

  “What is it?” Callen asked, leaning over her shoulder.

  Cassie opened the ledger carefully. Its pages detailed extensive trade agreements, but certain entries were marked with a strange sigil. The pattern was subtle—so much so that she might not have noticed it if not for her years of scanning coded messages.

  “These aren’t just merchants,” she murmured. “They’re something else entirely.”

  Cassie ran her fingers over the sigil, her mind racing. The symbol—a stylized spiral within a triangle—was unfamiliar, but its placement was deliberate. Whoever had marked the entries wanted them to stand out, yet only to someone sharp enough to notice.

  “They’re hiding something,” she said, her voice a low murmur.

  Callen leaned closer, his brow furrowing. “Trade deals, tariffs, shipping routes… none of this looks out of place. What do you see?”

  “These,” she said, pointing to the sigils. “They mean something. Maybe a code, or maybe a marker for specific transactions. Whatever it is, it isn’t random.”

  Before Callen could reply, a soft voice interrupted them.

  “Clever eyes.”

  Cassie stiffened, her hand darting toward her dagger as a figure stepped from the shadows of the aisle. The woman moved with a grace that seemed out of place in the dusty archives, her deep green gown whispering against the stone floor. Her face, striking and composed, was partially illuminated by the flickering lantern light.

  Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

  The woman stopped a few paces away, her hands folded loosely in front of her. “We’ve met before,” she said with a faint smile. “Though perhaps only briefly. During your... unique entry to the palace.”

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  Cassie’s grip on her dagger didn’t loosen. She remembered now. This woman had been present during her interview as a maid. Her gaze then had been sharp, appraising, as though she already knew Cassie didn’t belong.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Cassie said evenly.

  “Apologies,” the woman replied, inclining her head slightly. “Lady… Harmonia. Of House Varesh.”

  Her pause was brief but noticeable, as if tasting the name for the first time, as if it belonged to someone else.

  She hesitated, then offered a faint smile. “I have gone by many names, but you may call me that. For now.”

  The name carried weight, though not enough to set off alarms in Cassie’s memory. Harmonia’s tone and posture, however, spoke volumes. This wasn’t a woman prone to idle chatter.

  “You’ve gone through great trouble to sneak into the archives,” Harmonia continued, gesturing lightly toward the ledgers on the table. “I’d wager it’s not for light reading.”

  Cassie’s fingers brushed the edge of the journal tucked beneath her cloak. “Why do you care what I’m doing here?”

  “Because,” Harmonia said, her smile fading, “I care about what’s coming.” She stepped closer, her voice lowering. “And I think you’re one of the few people here who understands how dangerous it is.”

  Cassie’s jaw tightened, her instinct to deflect warring with her need for answers. “What exactly do you think I understand?”

  “That the court is a battlefield,” Harmonia said, her words as precise as a blade. “And someone has set the stage for a bloodless coup. Or perhaps not so bloodless.”

  Cassie studied Harmonia carefully, her suspicion growing. The woman’s calm demeanor, despite the gravity of the situation, seemed too controlled. Harmonia’s tone hinted at more than concern. It suggested an intimate knowledge of the political tides, and Cassie couldn't ignore the possibility that Harmonia knew something Cassie didn't.

  “If you understand the stakes so well,” Cassie said, her voice sharp, “why aren’t you doing more to stop it?”

  Harmonia’s eyes flashed, a brief flicker of something almost imperceptible crossing her face. She stepped a little closer, her gaze unwavering. “Because stopping it now would make things worse.” Her voice was low, but resolute. “And frankly, some of us have already chosen a side.”

  Cassie’s brows furrowed, the words hitting her like a sudden blow. She hadn’t expected a direct admission, but Harmonia’s subtle shift told her everything. “So, you’re aligned with someone,” Cassie said carefully, narrowing her eyes. “Who?”

  Harmonia’s lips quirked into a faint smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “The only side that matters,” she said softly. “Dietrich.” She let the name hang in the air, heavy with unspoken consequences.

  Cassie’s stomach tightened, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Harmonia’s tone, the subtle signs of loyalty. Cassie had been around long enough to recognize them.

  “I should’ve known,” she muttered, though she kept her voice steady. “The way you speak of the kingdom’s future… You’re not just worried about it. You’re preparing for it to change.”

  Harmonia didn’t deny it. She just met Cassie’s gaze, her expression unreadable. “I’m not here to talk about Dietrich,” she said, her voice suddenly colder. “I’m here because the kingdom can’t survive another civil war, no matter who wins. And that includes Dietrich.”

  “I’m practical,” Harmonia continued. “And so are you, or you wouldn’t be here. If we work together, perhaps we can uncover who’s truly pulling the strings before it’s too late.”

  Cassie frowned, her suspicion deepening. “You expect me to believe you’re acting out of the goodness of your heart?”

  “No,” Harmonia said simply. “I expect you to believe I’m acting out of self-preservation. And that, Cassandra, is something we both have in common.”

  She tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting with something unreadable. “Besides, I haven’t a heart to act on its goodness. That particular burden was never mine to bear.”

  Cassie hesitated, her thoughts racing. Harmonia’s knowledge was too specific to dismiss, and her presence here now felt far from coincidental. But trust was a gamble she couldn’t afford to lose.

  “I’ll listen,” Cassie said finally, her voice tight. “But if this is a trap—”

  “It’s not,” Harmonia interrupted smoothly. “And if it were, I’d advise against threatening me. You’re not the only one with a sharp blade.”

  Cassie smirked faintly, though her grip on her dagger didn’t ease. “Fair enough.”

  Harmonia’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Besides, if I wanted you gone, you wouldn’t even realize it. You’d disappear, and no one would notice. Because they’d still see you.”