Chapter 36

Entering the castle itself was no problem. Once inside, sounds of battles raging on in various locations could be heard. All of the special mission teams came in at the same time, and without taking time to look around the opulently decorated, though recently ransacked, interior, the leaders split off in the various directions they’d been instructed to follow.

Ward led them down a hallway that led to a steep stairway that went both up and down. They chose to follow it down, further into the depths of the castle. It was made of marble and the floor was slick, but all of their team members were sure-footed.

It was also dark, though none of them needed torches. Their highly attuned vision was able to cut through the darkness.

Once they reached the next floor, Ward looked around and then, nodding, he took them down another corridor. Here, they found a thick oak door, which Ward asked Morris to knock down, and he did so easily. This led to yet another flight of