Raziel stared at the heavy parchment in his hands.
He read the public execution order issued by the false king.
Prince Ayres planned to behead Paladin Odessa Grand in the central courtyard of the capital tomorrow at noon.
The fire crackled in the dead Inquisition camp. The cold wind bit through the pine trees and chilled the sweat on Raziel's forehead.
He processed the emotional weight of the execution order with cold, mechanical detachment.
He looked across the flames at Lucian.
The noble dropped his piece of roasted venison into the dirt. He lost all color in his face and his hands shook violently. Odessa Grand was his cousin.
She served as a high-ranking Paladin in the King's Vanguard and protected the royal family for years.
She helped Raziel smuggle contraband and secure the safehouse for the blind Oracle.
Now she sat in a dungeon waiting for the executioner's axe.
"Tomorrow at noon," Lucian repeated the deadline.
