Blood stained the floor, yet Lucky didn't react at all. Her nose was sharper than any sensor, and still she stood there, calm as stone. Natalie frowned and looked over. Lucky was fixed on one wall, sniffing along it with total focus. "Found something?" Natalie asked. She studied the direction. That wall connected this room to the one next door. A spark flickered in her mind. She walked over and started tapping around. Each tap echoed differently, but one spot stood out with a dull, hollow sound. She kept tapping, tracing the shape little by little. The pattern was clear now—it was a door. Her fingers brushed the wall, and she felt the faintest gap beneath her touch. It was thin as a thread but real. So that was it. A secret door. It linked this room to the next. She pressed on it, but it didn't budge. She searched along the wall for a latch or switch but found nothing. Of course it wouldn't open from this side. It was meant for the innkeeper and his wife to slip in unseen during the night. Clever bastards. Everyone was weakest when asleep or in the bathroom. Even the strongest person couldn't guard against an attack in those moments. Whoever slept in this room would never even wake up before the blade came down. But why hadn't they given this death trap to Guinevere's group first? Why offer it to her and Cassian? Maybe because she and Cassian looked harder to take down. And what were those two really after?If it was robbery or murder, they could've killed Guinevere's group in their sleep, stolen the supplies, and disappeared. Why feed them? Why keep them alive? And Anthony—where the hell had he gone? If he was dead, why leave the girls behind? Too many questions tangled in her mind. Then Lucky suddenly growled, low and tense, staring toward the door. The creak of stairs broke the silence. Wood groaned under a slow, steady climb. Someone was coming up. Natalie reacted instantly. She threw the carpet back into place, called Lucky into her storage space, and Blinked out of the room. The distance was long. She had to Blink three times, slipping through two empty rooms before she reached her own. Cassian looked up from his seat the moment she appeared. The book in his hand hung open. "What happened? You okay?" Natalie nodded her head. "I'm fine." Then she finally saw the cover of the book he was reading. After Winning the CEO's Heart, I Had Seven Babies. She stared, her mind blank. Where did he even find that? She'd thought it was poetry or essays. He looked so immersed every time she saw him reading that book. Her mouth opened to say something, but heavy footsteps sounded in the hall. They stopped right outside their door. Then came the honeyed voice of the innkeeper's wife. "Sweetheart, open up. I brought you some extra blankets."Natalie and Cassian exchanged a quick look. Blankets that heavy weren't something a woman usually carried alone. It should have been the guy who came. The fact that she was here herself said everything. She was desperate. Cassian hadn't shown himself once, and now the woman had come knocking. Natalie almost told her to leave, but she remembered they hadn't brought much luggage when they arrived. In this freezing weather, pretending not to need blankets would seem odd. "Thanks," Natalie said calmly. "You can just leave them outside. My boyfriend's asleep." The woman hesitated, her voice smooth and sweet. "It's fine, really. Just open the door. I'll set them inside and go. I won't wake him." Natalie's tone turned sharp. "No. Leave them by the door. We'll take them later." The woman paused again. "Then I'll take them back. Once your boyfriend's awake, I'll bring them over. If they stay out here too long, they'll get cold. They won't be warm enough anymore." Such a weak excuse. But that was enough to confirm what Natalie already suspected. The cursebug must need direct contact between the woman and the man it infected. The way the innkeeper's wife acted, she looked ready to break through the wall just to see Cassian's face. Natalie smirked, her voice dropping low and hard. "I said, leave them at the door. You understand me?" The woman froze. The memory of Natalie's gun flashed back in her mind. Her lips trembled as she finally gave in. "Alright. I'll leave them here."Natalie's voice stayed cold. "Good. Don't come near our room again. If I need something, I'll ask." So the woman wanted to play games? Fine. Natalie could play better. She'd keep her guessing, drive her insane with it. The hall went silent. When Natalie was sure the woman had gone, she turned back to Cassian and told him everything she'd found.