Night had fully descended on Windmere by the time we approached the mayor's mansion. Under the moonlight, the ornate building looked more like a fortress than a home, its windows glowing with an unnatural light that spilled onto the manicured grounds.
"Guards at all entrances," Ava murmured, crouching beside me in the shadows of the treeline. "More than before."
"They're expecting us," Cecilia added, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. "Word of your fight with the enforcer must have spread."
I nodded, studying the patrol patterns. At least a dozen guards circled the property, each moving with the practiced precision of trained security. Not a threat to Integration-rankers individually, but their numbers would slow us down.
"Remember the plan," I said quietly. "Ava creates a distraction at the east gate. Cecilia and I slip in through the hidden path to the west. We find the mayor, end this nightmare."
