Allyssia nods and links her arm through mine. Together, the three of us make our way back into the manor. She leads us up the main staircase to the second floor, then turns right and walks down a long hallway that ends in a locked door Thorne and I had unlocked and relocked earlier. I see her fumbling, likely trying to find her key to the door. I squeeze her arm to signal I can help, then force the metal in the lock to move, squeezing again to tell her she can open the door. Thankfully, she understands, and we quickly sneak into the office.

The room is small, with a too-big desk and several chairs surrounding it. It looks like a meeting ended abruptly and everyone left quickly. There are papers everywhere, and a crate in the corner contains stolen thayar. Thorne releases his magic, and Allyssia goes straight to the desk, searching through each of the drawers frantically.

“I know he keeps the keys in here, I just don’t know exactly where,” she murmurs, and I’m about to step in to help her when she holds up a ring of keys and grins in satisfaction.

“Great work,” I whisper. “Let’s get out of here.”

There’s a noise on the other side of the door, and Thorne’s eyes meet mine quickly before he conceals us again. I reach out and find Allyssia, then pull her to me and try to aerstep us out of the room. But just as the tingling sensation reaches my neck, it fizzles out, like it’s been doused with water. Thorne senses my fear, and our eyes lock. I mouth I can’t aerstep to him, and he slowly guides Allyssia and me to a corner of the room, placing his body in front of ours and conjuring a dagger of light, all while keeping us hidden. I try one more time to aerstep as the door clicks open, and once again am met with resistance.

Krantz walks in, and he looks more unkempt than I’ve ever seen him, even when he was in the palace cells. His eyes are bloodshot, hair greasy. He walks to his desk and sits down, placing his head in his hands and sighing. He stays like that for a few minutes before looking back up and sorting through the papers that litter the top of the desk. I spot a drawer that Allyssia left open and tense, praying he won’t see it. I don’t want to have to fight our way out, not with the shape that Silene is in and whatever is preventing me from aerstepping. Unfortunately, the gods have never answered my pleas.