Kira and Derek moved through the corridors of the fortress in tense silence. Derek walked slightly ahead, claws still partially extended, amber eyes scanning every corner. Kira stayed close, her body still humming with residual light from the earlier fights.
Every door they passed, they opened and saw empty chambers, abandoned weapon stores, rooms lined with old maps and half-burnt candles.
"Nothing," he said, coming back out of another room.
"Keep going."
They turned a final corner and stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, and Derek pushed it open. Beyond was finally the throne room. They both stepped inside, Derek shielding Kira with his body as they walked in.
"There," Derek said, pointing behind the dais, half hidden by the fall of the curtain.
A narrow door stood in the wall. The bolt on the outside had been thrown across.
Kira stared at it. "We should go check it out."
