The Fae council chamber glittered with cold light, crystal columns rising into vaulted ceilings that shimmered with silver threads of magic. Pools of liquid starlight rippled along the floor, mirrors of power where secrets had been whispered for centuries.
I clutched the Dragon’s Heart Stone to my chest as Lou’s heavy steps echoed beside me. The glow leaking from its core pulsed with every beat of my heart, casting orange sparks across the marble.
Dozens of eyes watched us as we entered — my people, my council. Some widened with awe. Others narrowed with suspicion, lips curling as if they smelled smoke.
“She carries it openly,” one elder whispered.
“And look who stands at her side,” another sneered, her gaze slicing toward Lou.
“A dragon. The King of them, no less. What has she done?”
