All Chapters of Letters in the Shadow: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

​The grand banquet hall of Obsidian Manor was a cavernous space of cold granite arches, flickering iron torches, and towering stained-glass windows that overlooked the misty abysses of the outer valley. Long oak tables stretched across the polished flagstone floor, laden with roasted meats, silver platters, and heavy goblets of wine. ​At the head table sat the high council of The Crimson Crest. ​I was seated directly to the right of Gabriel, dressed in the heavy dark velvet gown the maids had fastened around me. Gabriel looked imposing, his sharp facial features illuminated by the warm flame of nearby candelabras as he conversed with the lords and captains of the syndicate. I kept my head held high, forcing every muscle in my face to display absolute composure. Beneath the thick folds of my velvet skirt, my fingers remained tightly curled around the brass key and Leo’s crumpled drawing. ​Across the table sat Lord Daniel. He maintained a quiet, reserved demeanor, sipping his wine s

​The heavy oak door swung open, casting a golden slice of torchlight directly across the dark office floor. ​I didn't hesitate. I sprang toward the tall, arched window at the far end of the room, unlatching the heavy iron frame and hoisting myself over the wooden sill. ​Cold night air slammed into my face as I dropped onto the narrow granite ledge outside, pressing my spine flat against the exterior stone wall. ​My fingers dug into the rough mortar. Hundreds of feet below, the jagged rocks of the lower courtyard lay swallowed in pitch-black shadow. ​Inside the office, heavy boots crossed the floorboards.​"Look at this," Victor’s cold voice echoed through the open window. "The stone on the floor... and my ledger." ​A sharp pause filled the air before a guard spoke up. "Is something missing, sir?" ​"A page has been torn from the morning deployment," Victor said softly, a deadly edge underlying his quiet tone. "Someone was standing in this room seconds ago. Seal the inner gates. S

​The smell of damp canvas and coarse grain filled my nose as I lay curled beneath thick wool sacks in the supply wagon. ​Every jolt of the wooden wheels against the cobblestone road rattled my teeth. ​Through a small tear in the canvas cover, the gray light of dawn filtered in, casting dim shadows across my dark wool cloak. ​The maidservant loyal to Lord Daniel had guided me through the kitchen cellars an hour ago, slipping me into the rear of the merchant cart just before the gates opened. ​The wagon slowed to a heavy halt. ​Outside, the familiar clattering of wooden shutters and the muffled calls of early market vendors signaled that we had reached the lower square of the Old Town. ​I slipped out from under the wool sacks, pulled my hood low over my forehead, and slid through the rear wooden gate of the wagon. ​My boots hit the wet cobblestones silently. ​I kept my head down, navigating the narrow stone alleys that wound up the hill toward the Old Town Library. ​The heavy oak do

​Thick billows of black smoke poured from the shattered stained-glass window of the Old Town Library. ​The crackle of burning timber echoed across the stone courtyard like the snapping of dry bones. ​I pressed my back hard against the cold, ivy-covered perimeter wall, pulling my torn, soot-stained cloak tightly around my shoulders. ​My breath came in ragged, trembling gasps as I clutched the heavy red leather history book against my chest. ​The brass crest—the secondary seal of the mountain vault—rested safely inside its carved page, alongside the brass key I had taken earlier from the manor. ​Both keys were finally in my possession. ​Footsteps crunched heavily on the gravel path ahead. ​The grand, dark-lacquered carriage bearing the silver crest of Gabriel stood idle in the middle of the paved square. ​Surrounding it were a dozen mounted high-council guards, their steel breastplates gleaming in the harsh morning light. ​Gabriel stepped down from the carriage. ​His tall, commandin