Andrew narrowed his eyes. "You said there's trouble around you, Mr. Thornton? What kind of trouble?"

Jerome let out a cold snort. "Some people in the Southern Martial Union think I've held the position for too long. They're getting impatient, and I think you know exactly what that means. To be honest, even though all the evidence points to the Eastonians being responsible for my poisoning, I know for a fact that someone else is behind it."

Andrew's unease, which had been quietly simmering, s