Page 25 of Crowned In Venom

Her name.

A chill creeps up my spine.

They part ways, slipping into the shadows of the palace.

I stay frozen for a breath longer, my mind turning over their words.

She.

A presence, unseen but feared.

A force greater than Varkos.

Greater than anyone here.

I should let it go. Should feign ignorance.

But I can’t.

Because if Varkos is not the true master of this place—if someone else pulls the strings?—

Then I need to know who.

And I need to know what they are capable of.

My chance comes sooner than expected.

A door, slightly ajar.

A corridor I have never seen before.

I should turn away.

But I don’t.

The moment I step inside, I know something is wrong.

The air is heavy, thick with the almost rotting scent of damp stone and something sickly sweet.

The walls seem too narrow, the space too quiet.

I take another step.

Then another.

And then?—

A sound.

Wet breathing.

I freeze.

The corridor opens into a dimly lit hall, lined with cells.

Not prison cells.

Something else.

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