The Stormborn great hall was awash in a frenetic energy. Alphas from neighboring territories, betas standing guard behind their leaders, and elders whose wisdom shaped policy all gathered beneath the vaulted ceiling. The buzz of overlapping conversations resounded from the stone walls like the echo of distant thunder.
Long tables had been pushed into a wide U-shape so that every faction faced the central dais, where Layla and Ronan sat in chairs of carved oak. The seat beside them, reserved for Aria, remained conspicuously empty. Whispers and furtive glances darted across the crowd: some delegates tapped restless fingers, others cast dark looks at the unoccupied chair.
But when Aria finally appeared, stepping out from the shadows at the far end of the hall, all chatter ceased. Tension co
