Chapter 25

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window and spilled across the desk. A squirrel scampered happily along a century-old driftwood bookshelf, running and leaping with carefree energy.

It didn’t stop until it reached the far end of the desk. It lifted its little nose to sniff, its big eyes rolling around, then it hugged a finger smeared with peanut butter and began to lick at it.

The owner of that finger was a young noble.