Kingdom of Ash

the groove where the wall met the floor. A
guard stood on watch at the end of the hall,
staring at nothing. He loomed, large as a
mountain, as Dorian approached.
Dorian had nearly reached the guard and
the crossroads he monitored when he felt it—
the stir, and then the silence.
Even the guard straightened, glancing to
the slit of a window behind him.
Dorian halted, tucking himself into a
shadow.
Nothing. No cries or shouts, yet ...
The guard returned to his post, but scanned
the hall.
Dorian remained still and quiet, waiting.
Had they discovered his presence? Sent out a
call?
It couldn’t have been as easy as it had
seemed. Erawan no doubt had traps to alert
him of any enemy presence—