Chapter One Maniodes stood in front of the fireplace in his office chambers, facing Scythe and Dagger. The fireplace was beautifully crafted from black marble, not showing a single seam. The rest of the furniture looked archaic in comparison. A single large desk and chair, both made of wrought iron and littered with parchment and quills, stood in the corner. In another corner a bench that would have been comfortable if it hadn’t been made of the same iron sat. That bench was