Miranda adjusted her cloak, pulling it tightly around her shoulders as she navigated the winding alleys of the city. The sun had already set, and the night air was cool against her skin. The marketplace, once bustling with activity during the day, was now shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from the occasional lantern hung outside a shop or home. She had been searching for hours, her frustration growing with each failed lead.
The wolves she had spoken to were either too cautious or too fearful to direct her to the man she sought—the mysterious merchant who dealt in the silver passes required to enter the palace. Miranda had learned of the merchant from Fina, but finding him proved more difficult than she had anticipated. He was elusive, his presence known only to a select few, and
