Keiser's mind ran quick calculations, piecing his memories together.
He's still here.
That meant the incident hadn't happened yet... the one that would shake the capital and make this man's name whispered in every noble's hall. There was still time to use him. Still time to twist the looming storm into their advantage.
With that certainty, Keiser shifted closer to the bars, stretching one hand through the cold iron. He ignored the way Lenko's gaze narrowed suspiciously on him, the way the boy looked like he was watching a stranger crawl out of Muzio's skin.
"Hey," Keiser murmured, voice steady but edged with command. "Give me the key."
The dungeon went still. The silence pressed thick, broken only by the faint drip of water and the shuffle of straw underfoot. Keiser's jaw twitched, he nearly hissed a sharp hurry up under his breath when the man in the other cell finally moved.
