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I could no longer be certain it was an animal.

That left me trapped between a sealed wall and whatever waited beyond the passage. I chose the direction with lights and enough space to swing the torch.

The passage was shorter than it had looked from above. Iron vines ran along the walls, their thorns worked directly into the stone. Small red roses had been painted between them. Most of the colour had faded, although the petals nearest me grew brighter as I passed.

I didn’t touch those either.

The air smelled colder here. Water, metal and something sharp sat at the back of my throat. The old key warmed in my hand until I could feel it through my glove.

At the end of the passage stood a metal door taller than the one above. It had no handle, hinges or visible lock. A circular seal covered its middle, marked with a raven wrapped around a narrow crown.

The scraping came from the other side.

Close enough to hear the weight of the chain now.

I stopped several feet from the door. “I’m Bryony Ellison. If you understand me, say something.”

No voice answered.

One chain dragged across stone. The rough sound at the end might have been a growl or someone struggling to breathe.

Every sensible part of me wanted distance. The sealed staircase had removed the safer direction.

I studied the floor before moving closer. No paw prints, footprints or blood marked the stone. The door met the walls without leaving a gap. Whatever waited on the other side hadn’t come through here.

Edith had sent me under Harrowmere for a case. She had also warned me about a man named Adrian and a crown. The symbol on the door contained one of those things.

The other might be waiting behind it.

“If you’re Adrian Rook, this would be an excellent time to admit it.”

The chain moved once.

I wasn’t accepting that as an introduction.

The old key had grown hot enough to sting my palm. When I held it near the seal, the engraved raven opened one metal eye.

I almost dropped the key.

“No. Absolutely not.”

The eye stayed open.

The crossed lines from Edith’s instructions appeared under the raven. There was no keyhole, but the key pulled towards the middle hard enough to move my arm.

I braced my feet and touched the bow to the seal.

A hidden point snapped out of the metal and sliced across my palm.

“Fuck.”

I jerked back. One drop of blood struck the engraved crown before I could cover the cut.

The seal drank it.

Red light ran through the raven’s wings and spread across the door. Locks released inside the wall, one after another, heavy enough to shake the floor.

The chain beyond the door snapped tight.