Once we stepped out of the infirmary, Rion didn’t waste a second. He turned to Ares and Diaval.
"Stop everyone from going outside or inside the Undercity. Monitor all District borders and tell our warriors to do thorough inspections."
I knew people here weren’t normally forbidden to co and go. They could leave under certain circumstances but every movent was already tightly regulated.
But with soone daring enough to slip into his city, steal under the Alpha’s nose, and make trouble... this was the fastest way of tightening control and tracking the culprit.
"Who will go to the Sixth District?" Ares asked.
"Vivien and I will go."
I blinked. ? "Why ...?"
Ares let out a low whistle, clearly entertained. "Poor Vivien. Guess you’re on duty now."
"Shut up," I muttered, shooting him a glare.
But the thought gnawed at . If Rion really wanted the harp found, wouldn’t he do a better job himself? I couldn’t even sense the Celestial Wolf’s energy yet. What use was I supposed to be, other than bait, maybe?
Before I could voice any of that, Rion cut off smoothly, already turning down the hall, his silver hair catching the dim light. He moved with the air of soone who expected to be followed, not questioned.
"et down the hall in an hour."
And just like that, the conversation was over.
I exhaled slowly, glaring at his retreating back. An hour. Of course. Typical Rion.
* * *
An hour later, the world folded into darkness.
The shadows wrapped around us like a living cloak, and when they peeled away, I was no longer in the Central District. The shift was instant—one heartbeat in Rion’s castle, the next in unfamiliar streets.
We hadn’t run. We hadn’t used any kind of transportation. Just his shadows, swallowing us whole and spitting us out sowhere else. My body shivered from the after-sensation, like pins dancing along my skin.
The Sixth District.
It was quieter here. Unlike the Central District, which was always buzzing with trade and gossip, the Sixth was a smaller district. More contained.
Many of the houses looked newly built—simple but sturdy, patched together with stone and timber, their roofs still clean from recent thatching. They weren’t grand by any ans, but they stood as proof of survival.
A fresh start for the refugees of the Rayvehill pack who had been given a ho here after losing everything.
Children darted through the streets, their bare feet kicking up dust as they chased each other. Their laughter echoed between the narrow stone walls, light and unburdened, as if they had already forgotten the grief their parents must still carry.
Won balanced baskets filled with herbs, cloth, and bread, calling out greetings to neighbors as they passed. n leaned on tools or sat repairing fences, their hands rough and calloused, but their eyes softened whenever they paused to watch their families.
"The Sixth District doesn’t seem as big as Central," I murmured, my eyes sweeping over the narrow streets and clustered hos.
"But it’s still going to be hard to find any trace of the thief when we don’t even know his face." I sighed, frustration curling in my chest.
"Just make your ears alert," Rion said. "You can hear the harp’s music. That ans it will call for you when you are near."
Right. I could make use of that. But do we need to search the whole district for that sound or any trace? Thinking about it was already exhausting.
"Jeron had been staying in the Undercity for a while, and you’ve been to the House of Ambrosia, so why weren’t you able to feel the Celestial Wolf’s energy?" I asked softly as I followed Rion down a quieter street.
The laughter of children faded behind us, replaced by the steady shuffle of footsteps and the occasional bark of a stray dog.
"Who knows... it is also a mystery to ." He humd faintly, eyes sweeping over every alley and doorway, shadows flickering faintly at his heels as if they were doing the searching for him.
"Maybe the energy in this key is faint. So I had to be very close to it to feel anything. Just like when I first found the first key, the Bone Light. And unlike you, I didn’t hear any harp’s music that night when we found Jeron. I’m guessing connection with the keys cos in different ways, that’s why I need you to do your job properly."
I nodded slowly, my stomach knotting. There was still so much we didn’t know about the seven keys. They were like puzzles scattered across a map we couldn’t even see.
We walked in silence for a while, the noise of the district fading as we turned onto a narrower road.
I moved a little ahead of him, spinning so I could walk backward while facing him.
His eyes followed instantly, sharp as always, as if he half-expected to trip.
"Can we eat first? I’m hungry," I said. I saw so stalls earlier and it made crave food.
One corner of his mouth lifted, his eyes narrowing as though he was trying to smother amusent beneath a mask of irritation.
"You’re hungry again? Vivien, you just ate breakfast a couple of hours ago."
"Well," I rolled my eyes dramatically, "if you didn’t notice, I couldn’t eat properly because your guests were too busy interrogating . Honestly, how does it feel? Being so charming that two beautiful won are fighting over you?" My words dripped sarcasm.
His smirk sharpened. "So, you find charming, then?"
I froze for half a second, lips parting, then quickly snapped my mouth shut. Heat pricked at my cheeks.
"I ant... you are charming for them," I muttered quickly, spinning back around so I was walking beside him again.
I fixed my gaze firmly on the pavent, refusing to glance at him. But I didn’t need to look—I could feel his smile, playful and wicked, burning at the edge of my vision.
"What do you want to eat?"
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