Marquess Cunningdal followed a step behind the enchanting beauty into a room that was a stark contrast to the rest of the building. The dark room was messy with low-grade artefacts, out-of-season clothes, and enchanted weapons placed randomly against the walls. A large leather sofa dominated the room's central area with its back facing him. Beyond the sofa was an enormous mahogany desk, and a man wearing a bright red wine suit sat with his eyes closed in an oversize chair. The only glass window the marquess had seen in Blackthorn was behind the man casting shadows across his face.
Suddenly, many objects shot out from various directions; in the dim lighting, they gleamed as they shot past the marquess. The marquess turned in surprise toward the flying objects; the metal cards exploded in a burst of light, blinding everyone. While disoriented, the marquess felt a flare of magic as something moved with ridiculous speed past him.
