The safehouse felt colder without the storm outside, but the chill in the air wasn't from the rain. It crawled under my skin, settling in my bones — the poison's slow burn reminding me that Silra's blades had done more than cut.
Mira tore strips from a clean cloth, pressing them tightly against my shoulder. "You're burning up. If this venom spreads, you won't last the night."
I clenched my jaw. "I'm not dying here."
Loran's eyes darted from me to the broken window, his jaw tight. "The Serpents aren't just assassins. They're pawns. The real game's being played in the shadows of the Council chambers."
Elara folded her arms, voice sharp. "That note… The wharf tunnels. It's a trap."
"Or a lead," Mira said, eyes glinting with determination. "Either way, we follow it."
I glanced at the black wax seal, still warm in my palm. The Council was more tangled in this than I ever imagined. Someone wanted me hunted, poisoned, silenced—and they had the power to strike deep.
"Tonight, then," I said. "We move fast. We gather what we can before they know we're coming."
A slow knock came at the door. Every muscle tensed.
Elara's hand slid to her dagger as I opened it cautiously.
Ryn stepped inside, her face pale but unreadable beneath the hood. "I heard… you might need help."
The room froze. Her presence was like the shifting wind—unpredictable, dangerous. The weight of her gaze settled heavily on me.
"I'm poisoned," I said without preamble. "And the Council's involved. We're running out of time."
She nodded, stepping closer. "I can help with the venom. And I know who's behind this."
Loran frowned. "How?"
Ryn's eyes flickered with a flicker of old pain. "Because they're not just hunting you. They're hunting me, too."
Mira's brow furrowed. "You're a Serpent?"
"Once," Ryn whispered. "But I left. They branded me a traitor."
Elara's voice was steady but cautious. "If what you say is true, your knowledge could turn the tide. But can we trust you?"
Ryn's jaw tightened. "Trust is a luxury I can't afford. But right now, our enemy is the same."
I studied her for a long moment, weighing the risk.
Then I stepped back, motioning her forward.
"Alright. You're in."
The wharf tunnels smelled of salt, mold, and decay. Shadows clung to every corner as we moved silently through the labyrinth beneath Valenport's docks.
Ryn led us, her footsteps sure despite the darkness.
"Council shipments move through here," she said. "The crate with the seal isn't ordinary. It's a message—and a key."
We rounded a corner and spotted a lone figure — a courier by the looks of it — unloading a sealed crate marked with the same emblem from the note.
I motioned for Mira and Loran to flank the other side while Elara and Ryn prepared to intercept.
The courier glanced nervously over his shoulder but continued working.
"On my mark," I whispered, the poison gnawing at my focus.
We moved in a coordinated strike, swift and silent.
But the moment we secured the crate, a loud clang echoed through the tunnels.
Serpent reinforcements.
More than we expected.
The shadows exploded into movement — steel flashing, poisoned blades slicing through the stale air.
The fight was brutal. My body screamed, venom tightening its grip, but the fire in my soul blazed hotter.
Ryn was a whirlwind, her daggers singing death with deadly grace. Mira and Elara fought back to back, a storm of precise strikes. Loran's crossbow roared, each bolt finding its mark.
I forced myself forward, ignoring the burning ache, fueled by the need to uncover the truth buried inside that crate.
Finally, the last Serpent fell silent.
Panting, bloodied, we opened the crate.
Inside was a collection of documents — contracts, coded messages, and a ledger stamped with the Council seal.
Mira's fingers trembled as she flipped through the pages. "They've been paying off Serpent cells for months. Coordinating attacks, covering up hits…"
A cold realization settled over me.
"This isn't just a power struggle. It's a war being waged in the dark — with the city caught in the crossfire."
Ryn looked at me, her eyes hard. "And it's only going to get worse."
Back at the safehouse, the night was thick with unanswered questions.
I sat with the documents spread before us, the poison in my veins whispering a countdown I couldn't ignore.
"Who in the Council is behind this?" Mira asked quietly.
I clenched my fists. "Someone with everything to lose... and nothing to stop them from burning the city to the ground."
Elara looked up, her gaze fierce. "Then we make sure they don't get the chance."
Ryn's voice was low but certain. "This is bigger than all of us. But if we stand together, we might just break their chains."
I met her eyes, feeling the fragile weight of an uneasy alliance.
The path ahead was shadowed and treacherous.
But for the first time since my fall, I wasn't walking it alone.