Marcus stared at Angus.“Where is Lora?”Angus wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His smile remained, despite the pain he was clearly trying to hide.“You should have asked that before you started fighting me.”Marcus tightened his grip on the dagger. “Tell me where she is.”“Marcus,” Stephan interrupted. “We need to leave. Now.”Marcus didn’t turn. “Not until he tells me.”Stephan stepped closer. “The palace has been compromised. We’ve been betrayed, and we don’t know how many men are involved.”Angus chuckled. “You’re beginning to understand, General.”Stephan drew his sword and pointed it at Angus. “Keep talking, and I’ll make sure you never get the chance to speak again.”Angus glanced at the blade, then returned his attention to Marcus.“You’re still thinking like a man who can solve every problem by killing the person in front of him. That’s why you keep losing.”Marcus moved toward him.Stephan caught his arm. “Listen to me. We cannot afford to waste time here.”Marc

Marcus and Lord Stephan moved quickly through the garden.Neither of them spoke as they made their way back toward the palace. The message Marcus had read kept running through his mind.The king must die before midnight.They reached the palace wall and found a narrow opening between two sections of stone.Stephan stopped.“Through here.”Marcus looked at him.“Where does it lead?”“Into the eastern corridor.”Stephan pushed aside a loose section of stone and slipped through.Marcus followed.They emerged inside the palace and immediately heard the sound of fighting.Steel struck steel somewhere ahead of them.Stephan drew his sword.“They've already started.”Marcus looked down the corridor.Several palace guards were fighting men dressed in dark clothing. Some guards were already lying on the floor.One of the attackers saw them.“It's the General!”The men turned toward Stephan.“Kill him!”Stephan stepped forward.Marcus moved beside him.The first attacker charged.Stephan blocke

The door opened slowly.Marcus kept his hand near his dagger while Stephan raised his sword.A man stood on the other side.He was dressed in an old black coat, with gray hair falling over his forehead. He looked at the two men without any concern.His eyes moved to the assassin's blood on Stephan's clothes.“You found him.”Marcus stepped forward.“Who are you?”The man ignored the question.Instead, he looked at Stephan.“General.”Stephan's grip tightened around his sword.“You know me?”“I know everyone who serves the throne.”Marcus watched the man's face.There was no fear.“Where is the antidote?”The man smiled.“Straight to the point.”“The king is dying.”“I know.”Marcus moved closer.“Then give it to me.”The man stepped aside.“You can take it yourself.”Marcus entered the room.Stephan followed.The old treasury was much larger than he expected. Empty shelves covered the walls, and several stone tables stood in the middle of the room.Most of the room had been abandoned

Clifford's blade came down toward Marcus's shoulder.Marcus shifted to the side and caught Clifford's wrist before the second strike. Clifford twisted free, stepped back, and swung again, forcing Marcus to retreat from the fountain.The older man moved with more speed than Marcus had expected.Marcus blocked the next strike with his dagger. The impact traveled through his arm, and he adjusted his grip to keep the weapon from slipping.“You're slower than you were during our last encounter,” Clifford said.Marcus glanced at the wound on his thigh. It had closed, but the injury still affected his movement.“I'm still standing.”Clifford thrust forward.Marcus deflected the blade and struck Clifford across the ribs with his elbow. Clifford stumbled but recovered quickly, bringing his cane sword around in a low sweep.Marcus jumped back.Across the courtyard, Stephan and the guards were still fighting. Two guards had already fallen, while the others tried to surround him. Lord Micah stood

Captain Rowan returned twenty minutes later with four soldiers.“That's all I could gather without leaving the palace exposed,” he told Marcus. “The rest are securing the royal chambers and the main roads.”Marcus looked at the soldiers. “Have any of you served at the eastern depot?”Two of them nodded.“Good. You know the entrances?”“Yes, sir,” one replied. “There's a main gate facing the road and a loading entrance near the river. The river entrance is usually locked.”“Usually?”“The lock was broken a few months ago. The guild said it would be repaired.”Marcus exchanged a glance with Rowan.“Then we'll assume both entrances are usable.”Rowan divided the group. Two soldiers would approach the main gate with him, while Marcus and the remaining soldiers would circle toward the river.“Don't engage anyone unless you have to,” Rowan said. “If we find evidence of a coup, we take it back to the palace.”Marcus nodded.They moved through the streets without drawing attention. The easter