Brynn's pulse quickened. She kept her expression steady.
"The way the energy still resonates. Older damage would have settled differently. This feels fresh. Within the past few weeks."
An educated guess. She committed to it anyway.
"Interesting." Seraphina's tone gave nothing. "And you base this on what training, exactly?"
"I'm a fast learner."
"Indeed you are. Fast enough to identify sabotage. Fast enough to recognize targeted damage." She was closer now, close enough that Brynn could feel the heat radiating off her skin. "One might wonder where you learned such things."
They were losing ground. Seraphina wasn't just being evasive. She was turning the investigation back on them.
Makingthemthe suspects.
"Perhaps we should examine your other ward-stones," Dante said, reclaiming the room. "A broader sample would provide better data."
"I don't think so."
"If you're not willing to cooperate—" His voice dropped.
"Oh, I'm perfectly willing to cooperate," Seraphina interrupted,pleasant as poison. "But cooperation requires trust. And trust, Reaper, must be earned."
She moved toward the chamber exit. "When you're ready to share what you really know about these failures, and who you really suspect, perhaps we can have a more productive conversation."
Seraphina had revealed almost nothing while extracting information they hadn't meant to give. Whether innocent or guilty, she was playing a game several moves ahead of them.
And they'd just shown her their hand.
XXXVI.
BRYNN
As they followed her out of the chamber, the corridors felt even more oppressive on the way back. Every shadow potentially hiding a guard, every alcove a reminder of how deeply they'd walked into enemy territory.
Dante's expression gave nothing away. His shadows did. Darkness writhed around his boots, coiling and snapping in patterns she'd learned meant he was fighting his temper.
"Your investigation techniques need work," Seraphina said conversationally as they climbed the stone steps. "Too eager, too revealing. Fatal when dealing with enemies."
"Are you our enemy?" Dante asked, his voice quiet in that way that made the air feel thinner.
"That depends." Seraphina paused at a junction, glancing back. "Everyone who enters my domain is evaluated for threat level." Her gaze fixed on Brynn. "Your little pet here... she's more interesting than I expected."
Brynn kept her expression neutral, but her nails bit into her palms. She'd proven herself capable, and this Death Lord still couldn't find a better word thanpet.
They reached the main level of the fortress, where corridors branched off into different sections. Seraphina gestured toward whatappeared to be guest quarters. Comfortable spaces with excellent views of what was probably an execution ground.
"You'll need to rest before traveling in this heat," she said. "The desert doesn't forgive weakness."
"We can manage—" Brynn started.
"Can you?" Seraphina's smile cut. "How refreshingly confident."
A guard approached Dante, murmuring about escort protocols and the safest route through the desert. He turned to address the warrior, his attention diverted by logistics.
Seraphina waited exactly long enough for his focus to shift before stepping closer to Brynn.
Too close.
