Back in Chetvine, Nigel and his squad returned to the Lloyd family estate just as daylight broke. As the division head, Nigel was drenched in blood, and the sight made every other department head in the council hall tense up immediately.

At the head of the table, Donovan's expression was dark as he asked, "Did you find Andrew?"

Nigel unstrapped his bloodstained saber and slammed it onto the table before he finally caught his breath.

"I'm sorry, Patriarch Donovan. I failed. I couldn't find Andrew. But he should still be alive."

He had said "alive," not "safe," which only made the news slightly better than the worst-case scenario.

Donovan suddenly roared, "Keep searching! Even if it's just a body, I want every inch of this land turned upside down until you find it."

The other department heads flinched. They had served the Lloyds for years, yet it had been a long time since they had seen Donovan completely lose his temper.

Nigel reported coldly, "Patriarch Donovan, on this mission