The serpent's coil

is definitel

breath catching in her throat. Just as the heavy oak door creaked open, revealing a sliver of dark suit fabric, the bookcase swun

. A voice, low and gruff, spoke in a language she didn't recognize, but the tone was un

t back a shudder. Her father had once told her this passage led to an old wine cellar, part of the original structure of the house, dating b

to hear. She could hear them in the study, their voices now clear

ce thick with an accent. "The A

ther replied, his voice colder, more authorit

had accessed the server. They knew she had found something. Her father's dea

austrophobic tunnel of crumbling brick. The passage was long, winding slightly downhill. Every squeak of an old pipe

lder, heavier, carrying the distinct aroma of aged wine and mildew. This was the wine cellar. Moonlight f

urtain of ivy. She moved as quickly as she dared, her hand sweeping along the rough stone wall until her fingers closed a

er heart still hammering. The house loomed silently behind her, its windows dark eyes watching

..." The warning call. These weren't random thugs. This was a targeted operation. And

had been comforting, but his absence now, and the chilling words from the invaders about her "warning," sowed a seed of doubt. If so

ed from the depths

gly aware of everything. He ran a small, nondescript bookstore in a forgotten part of the city, a place her father occasionally visited. Isabella had only met him a handful of times, but she remembere

he ride was a blur of flashing streetlights and building paranoia. Ever

ve read: "The Nocturne Page – Rare Books & Curios." The windows were d

shadow? But she had no other options. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open th

ightly metallic. Rows of towering bookshelves stretched into the gloom, crammed with books from floor to c

ut, her voice barely a whi

beard and spectacles perched on his nose. He wore a rumpled tweed jacket and his movements were slow,

bered – piercingly intelligent, taking in ever

t tonight. Or perhaps, more accurately, I had a feeling you would need to." He paused, his gaze drifting to h

at perhaps she wasn't entirely alone. "They were at the ho

nest. And now, the hornets are looking for the new queen." He gestured towards a small, cluttered table am