#Chapter 137 – The Betrayal Begins

Asher The tavern smelled like old Rogues and fresh blood. It was the kind of place that never saw daylight, being wedged between crumbling stone deep in the less wealthy edge of the capital. No banners here. No royal colors. Just soot-stained wood, a haze of smoke from cheap cigars, and a bartender who asked no questions so long as the coin was good. It was perfect. I sat in a corner booth shrouded in shadow, one boot braced against the edge of the table, the other foot planted firmly on the sticky floorboards. The hood of my cloak hung low over my brow, enough to disguise the sharp lines of my face without obscuring my line of sight. I didn’t want to be recognized. But I needed to be remembered by the right people, after. The door creaked open. Kael arrived first. Broad-shouldered, armored in worn leather. A scar split his lower lip from brow to chin. He swept the room once with a predator’s glance and strode straight toward me, all teeth and zero patience. Behind h