This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

The brass bell above Cordelia's Curiosities chimed softly as the autumn wind pushed through the door, carrying with it the scent of dying leaves and the promise of winter's approach. Cordelia Blackthorne looked up from the ancient map she had been examining, her emerald eyes catching the lamplight as she studied the stranger who had entered her shop.

He was tall and lean, with dark hair that seemed to absorb the warm glow of her carefully arranged lamps, and clothing that spoke of both wealth and practicality. But it was his eyes that captured her attention—a deep amber that seemed to hold secrets older than the manuscripts that lined her shelves.

"Good evening," she said, setting down her magnifying glass and rising from behind the mahogany counter. "I'm afraid I'll be closing soon, but if there's something specific you're looking for..."

The stranger's gaze swept across the shop with an intensity that made Cordelia's breath catch. Her store was a labyrinth of curiosities collected from across the known world: ancient texts, peculiar artifacts, and most notably, her prized collection of maps from every corner of the earth. She had inherited the shop from her late aunt Minerva, along with an inexplicable gift for finding the most extraordinary pieces.

"Maps," he said simply, his voice carrying an accent she couldn't quite place. "I'm looking for very old maps. Particularly those that show... unconventional territories."

Cordelia felt a flutter of excitement in her chest. Serious map collectors were rare, and this man had the bearing of someone who understood the true value of cartographic treasures.