91: The Duchess

The path from the canyon back to the duchess’ manor was long, but it wasn’t exposed to the open air. It had taken a bit to shake the two who had followed him, but once they were gone, he ducked into the hidden passageway and ran as fast as he could through the dark and winding tunnels. He arrived at the wine cellar door and pushed it open to climb through it.

“What happened?” The guard standing near the opening asked. “Where are the others?”

“Captured by General Steward’s forces. Where is the duchess?”

“In her parlor,” the guard said. He led him through the wine cellar and up the stairs onto the ground floor. He passed long tapestries and all the trappings of the duchess’ wealth and power. From down the hallway, he heard someone screaming in agony. They were getting closer to the screaming.

When the guard opened the door, the screaming echoed down the hallway.

He swallowed. The