Hidden Secrets

By the time Alex returned to the city, dawn was approaching. He rented a modest room in a quiet inn, far from the noble districts where people would recognize him. He needed privacy.

He sat at the small wooden desk in his room, lit a single candle, and pulled out a blank piece of parchment. He shut his eyes for a moment, recalling the details of the insignia, then picked up a piece of charcoal and began to draw.

A circle.

A pair of wings.

A sword piercing through the middle.

But upside down.

Alex tapped his fingers against the desk, staring at the crude sketch. Something about it nagged at him. He had seen this symbol before. Not like this—but upright.

His breath hitched.

He flipped the paper.

The symbol was no longer a mystery.

He knew exactly who it belonged to.

Nicholas.

That damned insignia belonged to Nicholas.