Damien Shadowvale's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Damien Shadowvale pressed against a wall and opened his small leather notebook. He dipped his feather pen and marked the courier's time across the square. Every tick brought him closer to the secret council that ruled Elmblood from the shadows. He had built this plan for months, brick by patient brick. The courier turned toward a stone arch wrapped in vines, sheltered by a wide tree. Damien knew this landmark. It sat at the center of his folded map of shadowy leaders' homes, the crossroads of every route he tracked. Then Damien froze. A fresh chalk symbol marked the arch's keystone. The same symbol curled at the bottom of his map, drawn by a hand that was not his. He checked his compass and his notes. Someone else had walked this path tonight, and walked it first. A rival was courting the same circles, leaving signs only the council would recognize. Damien closed the notebook and stepped from the wall. Patience was no longer a weapon he could afford. Tomorrow, he would introduce himself to the courier.