Cassandra jolted awake from her deep sleep.
The floor of the bedroom trembled slightly. The tremor had caused the chandelier to sway gently and knocked over the wine bottle by the window. With half-closed eyes, she tried to determine whether it was an earthquake or just an echo of a dream lingering in her sleep. But a second later, the loud thud she heard cleared her mind completely.
THUD!
Something… No, someone was fighting in Neonidas' study.
Cassandra sat up quickly, her bare feet touching the cold marble floor beneath her thin nightgown. Her heart pounded as she rushed out of her room, hurrying towards the large wooden door at the end of the corridor.
The door to Neonidas' study was shut tight, but the clash of metal and the sharp, rapid movements echoing from within signaled a deadly struggle inside. Cassandra didn't hesitate.
Just as her hand reached for the doorknob, she heard footsteps behind her.
