I paused a single flight from the top, sensing two third-level guards waiting in a small room above. From Jessia's report, this was one of the many secret entrances to the catacombs scattered across the city, where the Circle did their work, so it was well-guarded. The third level was, unfortunately, too powerful for me to suffocate silently with my aura. Which was fine, because I was itching to feel Circle flesh twitching in my hands again.
My sword left its sheath with a soft rasp. The blade glittered in the flickering crystal lights, writhing with my mana. It was only a fourth-level sword, yet beggars couldn't be choosers. It would serve until I found one more appropriate for my strength. Something that would let me kill High Inquisitors and the Arbiters the Curse Emperor had promised me were coming.
