There was no light in this secret passage.
Rhaenyra had no idea how long she had been walking. Her legs were still weak, and her heart still pounded like a drum in her chest, but she could no longer spare a thought for either.
She simply moved mechanically, one hand gripping Aegon's little hand tightly, the other braced against the passage's slick stone wall. She did not even notice when her fingernails dug into the cracks, leaving her hand filthy.
Footsteps sounded behind them-steady, measured. They belonged to Erryk Cargyll.
He said nothing and even kept his breathing quiet, like a silent shadow separating them from the deep, dark passage behind.
Farther back was Viry Fell. His footsteps were lighter now, almost catlike. Every so often, he paused to make sure no one was following them, then caught up again.
Dragged along by Rhaenyra, Aegon stumbled after her. She had no attention to spare for him at the moment, forcing his short little legs to move furiously. Several times, he nearly stepped on the hem of her cloak, but he neither complained nor asked to be carried. He simply followed in silence, his purple eyes shining like two stars in the darkness.
He was counting. No, not his steps, but the progress of something else.
From the moment he jumped out of the window at "Mysaria's," his heart had begun beating at an unusual rhythm. It was neither fear nor excitement, but something deeper-a tremor that seemed to rise from the very marrow of his bones.
In his mind, the system interface that had lain dormant for almost four years without ever fully unlocking was flashing violently.
``` [Dragonblood Propagation System fully unlocking...]
[Host detected to have completed a key plot event: "Night Out in Flea Bottom"]
[Host detected to