The underground cells felt smaller with every passing minute, the damp stone walls closing in like a living trap. Seren worked methodically at the loosened bolt in the wall, her fingers bleeding from the rough mortar and the sharp edges of the stone shard she used as a tool. Each scrape sent tiny showers of dust to the floor, but the sound was swallowed by the constant drip of water and the growing clamour from the levels above.
Mira's hoarse voice drifted through the narrow gap once more. "They're arguing again up there. Castor keeps saying the plan is flawless, but his beta sounds nervous. Something about 'the princess not playing her part.'"
Lila added from across the passage, her younger voice trembling. "I overheard one of the guards earlier. They thought Elowen would happily watch the royal pack dissolve so she could claim whatever scraps were left. They underestimated her."
