CHAPTER SIXTY TWO - The Symphony Of Broken Hearts

Aria moved closer, lowering her voice. "Information is what I need most. Eyes and ears among the staff. People who remember my mother as she was." A flash of something – recognition, perhaps fear – crossed Lilith's face. "The walls have ears, my lady. But not all ears belong to your father." With that cryptic statement, Lilith bowed slightly and retreated from the room, leaving Aria to contemplate the potential ally she might have found. After finishing her breakfast, Aria chose a simple outfit from the wardrobe that had been stocked with clothes in her size – another uncomfortable reminder of how meticulously Viktor had planned for her arrival. She opted for practical black pants and a fitted tunic, clothes that would allow her to move freely if opportunity for escape presented itself. The corridors of Shadow Crest no longer hummed with the magical barriers that had restricted her movements. Aria took full advantage, deliberately taking a circuitous route to the gardens, memorizin