Lyssa slithered down the winding obsidian hallway, the sound of her silk robes rustling against the stone. A smug, self-satisfied smile played on her lips, one she didn't bother to hide in the empty corridor.
She didn't rush. She took her time, savoring the sweet taste of victory.
Behind her, deep within the bowels of the palace, the Vault was sealed tight. It was designed to keep thieves out, but today, it was doing a magnificent job of keeping a nuisance in. The temperature inside that room was notoriously frigid, lethal for fragile, thin-skinned creatures.
"Poor Viper," Lyssa whispered to the empty air, feigning sympathy. "Caught in the crossfire. A necessary sacrifice for the good of the Clan."
Viper was a reptile; the cold would merely slow his heart rate. He would curl up, slip into a deep hibernation, and wake up in a week with a stiff neck.
But the mammal?
