Chapter 171: Eyes
Denzel kept staring at the four words.
You should have left.
The paper was still between his fingers, the edges slightly bent from where he had unfolded it. Beside him, the Knight hadn’t moved. Her attention remained fixed on the necklace in Denzel’s other hand.
Sophia’s necklace.
He turned it over.
The silver chain slid across his palm, catching the dim firelight. There was nothing unusual about it. No blood. No hidden compartment. No strange marking.
Just the same necklace he’d seen around Sophia’s neck more times than he could remember.
Denzel lowered it onto the table.
"This is hers."
The Knight nodded.
"I know."
Denzel looked at her.
"You recognized it before I did."
"I saw her wearing it."
"That’s not what I meant."
The Knight’s eyes shifted toward the necklace.
Denzel watched her carefully.
"You knew exactly what that was when it came through the door."
"I suspected."
"Of course."
He picked it up again.
The chain slipped between his fingers.
His irritation wasn’t coming from the threat itself.
It was the delivery.
If whoever had followed them wanted to frighten him, there were easier ways. A blade through the door. A warning shouted from the street. Even a simple note would have worked.
Instead, they had taken something belonging to Sophia.
Something personal.
Something they knew Denzel would recognize.
That meant whoever had sent it had been paying attention.
Denzel’s expression hardened.
"They’ve been watching us."
The Knight didn’t deny it.
"Probably."
"Probably?"
She finally looked at him.
"I can’t tell you how long."
Denzel leaned against the table.
"You saw someone following us."
"I saw someone watching us."
"And now my friend’s necklace gets delivered to a locked room nobody should know about."
"Yes."
"So we’re going with watching."
The Knight’s mouth tightened.
"You’re making it sound simpler than it is."
"Then make it less simple."
She didn’t answer.
Denzel glanced toward the door.
The lock was still in place.
Nothing moved beneath it.
No footsteps.
No voice.
Whoever had delivered the necklace was gone.
Or was waiting.
Denzel crouched beside the door and examined the gap beneath it.
Nothing.
He touched the floor around the threshold.
No dirt.
No footprints he could identify.
Whoever had done this hadn’t simply thrown the necklace underneath.
They had approached quietly, placed it carefully, and left.
That bothered him more.
He stood again.
"The three knocks."
The Knight looked at him.
"They weren’t asking permission."
"No."
"They wanted us to know they were there."
"Yes."
Denzel tapped the folded paper against the table.
"And this was supposed to make sure we understood."
The Knight reached for the message.
Denzel handed it over.
She held it closer to the lamp.
Her eyes moved across the writing once.
Then again.
She turned the paper over.
Nothing.
She ran a finger along the edge.
Then brought it closer to her nose.
Denzel watched.
"What are you looking for?"
"Anything."
"That’s reassuring."
She ignored him.
The Knight placed the paper flat against the table and examined the folds.
"Interesting."
Denzel leaned forward.
"What?"
"The paper was folded before it was written."
He frowned.
"How do you know?"
"Look at the crease."
She pointed.
"The ink crosses it."
Denzel leaned closer.
She was right.
The paper had been folded once, then unfolded before the message was written.
"So?"
"So whoever wrote this prepared it beforehand."
Denzel’s eyes narrowed.
Meaning they’d known exactly what they wanted to say before they arrived.
The Knight continued examining it.
"No seal. No identifying mark. No obvious poison."
Denzel raised an eyebrow.
"You checked for poison?"
"I’ve learned to check."
"Good habit."
She looked at him.
"Especially around people connected to the Elder."
Denzel’s humor disappeared.
"Do you know who wrote it?"
"No."
"Can you recognize the handwriting?"
"No."
"Then what do you know?"
The Knight placed the paper back on the table.
"They didn’t come here to kill us."
Denzel stared at her.
"That’s your conclusion?"
"If they wanted us dead, we’d already be dead."
She nodded toward the door.
"They had the advantage. They knew where we were. They knew the room was occupied. They had enough access to get close without being noticed."
Denzel looked toward the locked door.
"So why knock?"
"Exactly."
The Knight folded her arms.
"They wanted us to know they could reach us."
A silence settled between them.
Denzel looked down at Sophia’s necklace.
That was worse.
Much worse.
A murderer wanted something simple.
A message like this was different.
It was a demonstration.
We know where you are.
We know who matters to you.
And we want you to know that we know.
Denzel exhaled through his nose.
"I hate people who enjoy making a point."
"You make points all the time."
"I don’t leave jewelry under doors."
"Fair."
The faintest hint of amusement appeared in her eyes.
Denzel caught it.
"Was that a joke?"
"No."
"You almost smiled."
"I didn’t."
"You did."
"I was considering whether to."
"That’s basically the same thing."
"It isn’t."
Denzel shook his head.
"Fine."
The Knight picked up the message again.
Her expression gradually became serious.
"There’s something else."
"What?"
"The way they delivered it."
Denzel waited.
She tapped the paper.
"They didn’t put this under the door."
Denzel frowned.
"The necklace was underneath."
"The necklace was."
She lifted the paper.
"This was wrapped around it."
Denzel stared.
"So?"
"They wanted the necklace to be found first."
His eyes narrowed.
She continued.
"They could have sent the message alone."
"Because the words would’ve been enough."
"Exactly."
Denzel looked at the necklace.
The Knight’s voice lowered.
"They wanted you to recognize who it belonged to before you read the message."
Denzel said nothing.
That was the part he hadn’t considered.
The threat wasn’t simply You should have left.
It was You should have left, and we know exactly who you’ll care about enough to make you understand.
His fingers closed around the necklace.
The Knight noticed.
"Don’t let them choose your reaction."
Denzel looked up.
"What?"
"That’s what they want."
She pointed toward the necklace.
"You’re angry. You want to open that door. You want to find whoever left this and demand answers."
Denzel glanced at the door.
She wasn’t wrong.
He had already considered it.
"Maybe."
"Definitely."
He almost smiled.
"You sound very confident."
"I’ve watched people make that mistake."
"And what happened to them?"
"They opened the door."
Denzel stared at her.
"And?"
"They weren’t prepared for what was waiting outside."
That killed the humor completely.
Denzel slowly turned toward the door.
His hand drifted toward the handle.
The Knight immediately caught his wrist.
"Don’t."
He looked at her hand.
Then at her face.
"You’re proving my point."
"No. I’m keeping you alive."
Denzel lowered his arm.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then he looked upward.
"The staircase."
The Knight released him.
"What about it?"
"Does it lead anywhere?"
"Upstairs."
"I figured that part out."
She gave him a look.
Denzel nodded toward the ceiling.
"Another exit?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"It’s an old building."
"That doesn’t answer the question."
"It has another way out."
Denzel looked at her.
"You knew that."
"I know the building."
"You said this place was difficult to find."
"It is."
"You also said it was safe."
"It is."
"And now you’re telling me it has another exit."
The Knight’s expression remained calm.
"You ask too many questions."
"You answer too few."
"That seems to work for both of us."
Denzel shook his head and started toward the stairs.
The Knight followed.
They climbed quietly.
The wooden steps creaked beneath their weight.
At the top was a narrow hallway with two doors.
The Knight walked past the first.
Denzel stopped.
She looked back.
"Not that one."
"Why?"
"Because it opens toward the street."
Denzel glanced at the door.
Then at her.
"And the other?"
"Back alley."
"Convenient."
"It was built that way."
Denzel continued after her.
The second room was empty except for an old cabinet and a small window.
The Knight crossed to it and pulled the curtain aside.
Denzel stood beside her.
Below them, the alley was empty.
He looked farther down.
Nothing.
No movement.
No carriage.
No shadow.
"See?" the Knight said.
"That’s what bothers me."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"Nobody’s there."
The Knight’s expression tightened.
Denzel leaned closer to the window.
"The person who left the necklace knew we’d check the front."
"So?"
"So if they were waiting for us to come outside, they’d be there."
He looked toward the mouth of the alley.
"They’re not."
The Knight went still.
Denzel slowly lowered the curtain.
"Which means they didn’t expect us to chase them."
She understood.
"They wanted us to stay inside."
"Exactly."
Denzel looked at her.
"Which means they’re not afraid of us finding them."
"No."
"They’re confident we won’t."
The Knight’s eyes narrowed.
A faint sound drifted through the room.
Three knocks.
Denzel froze.
The Knight’s hand went immediately to her weapon.
The sound had come from downstairs.
Three quiet knocks.
Patient.
Deliberate.
Denzel looked at her.
Neither spoke.
Then he moved toward the stairs.
The Knight caught his arm again.
"Don’t."
Denzel stopped.
They listened.
Nothing.
Another three knocks.
This time, Denzel heard something else.
A faint scrape.
Then silence.
The Knight slowly released him.
"We’re not opening that door."
Denzel nodded.
"I wasn’t going to."
She gave him a skeptical look.
"Good."
They descended the stairs together.
The room was exactly as they’d left it.
The door remained locked.
Denzel approached slowly.
He stopped several feet away.
Something white lay beneath the door.
The Knight stared at it.
Denzel stared too.
Neither moved.
Then the object shifted slightly.
Not because someone pushed it.
Because of the wind outside.
Denzel’s eyes narrowed.
He stepped closer.
A piece of paper.
Nothing else.
He crouched and picked it up.
The Knight watched him unfold it.
Four words.
You should have left.
Denzel stared.
His expression slowly changed.
The Knight stepped closer.
"That’s the same message."
Denzel shook his head.
"No."
He held up the paper.
"This one isn’t."
The Knight frowned.
Denzel turned it over.
There was something written on the back.
One additional sentence.
She already did.
Denzel’s fingers tightened around the paper.
The necklace suddenly felt heavier in his pocket.
Sophia had left.
And whoever had sent the message knew it.
The Knight looked toward the door.
"Denzel..."
He raised his eyes.
"Now we find out where she went."