Cassian handed the escort officer's tablet back.

"Who issued the route change?"

"Regent security."

"Name."

The officer's smile thinned.

"Commander, the claimant is exposed on an open highway. We can argue paperwork after she's secure."

I looked at Cassian. He

The main gate opened before our convoy reached it. People were already there. Guards. Council clerks. Servants in dark royal uniforms. A line of cameras from the public press enclosure beyond the outer courtyard. So much for arriving quietly. Good. I stepped out of t

The direct-line archive opened to my blood. No key. No guard code. I put my palm against the black plate beside the sealed doors and felt the same warmth that had moved through the Crownstone. The locks released one after another. Seven heavy clicks. Severin did not come