"The battlefields I mentioned?" The Man with the Mustache paced around the dimly lit chamber, his shadow dancing against the ancient walls. "They're all under strict control of the Veridia City Martial Guild now."
I leaned against a crumbling pillar, feeling the borrowed power continuing to fade from my body. Each hour brought me closer to vulnerability. "So they're inaccessible?"
"Not just inaccessible—they're heavily guarded. The Guild knows the value of dark energy resources." He tugged at his mustache, a nervous habit I'd noticed intensified when he delivered bad news. "Anyone caught trespassing is executed on sight. No questions, no mercy."
"There has to be another way." My fists clenched involuntarily.
"There is." He stopped pacing and faced me directly. "The great families of Veridia City."
"What about them?"
