The old woman rose from her chair with a grunt, crossing to the largest bookshelf in the room. She pressed her palm against a particular volume, and the entire shelf swung outward, revealing a narrow passage behind it.
"The tunnels," she said, gesturing toward the darkness beyond. "They run beneath the entire Holy City. Old smuggler routes, mostly. Some date back to before the church was even built."
"You have access to these?" Lillian asked, peering into the passage.
"I am these, girl." The old woman's eyes glittered. "I helped dig half of them, back when I had knees that worked and hands that didn't shake."
Evelina stepped into the passage without hesitation, her white hair disappearing into the gloom. Lillian followed, and the old woman came last, pulling the bookshelf shut behind them.
The darkness was absolute for a moment. Then, one by one, torches along the walls flickered to life, their flames burning with a steady, unwavering light that cast no shadows.
