Ellie POV
The tension in the chamber was like a storm ready to break. Elder Rowan still stood, his face red with fury, his glare fixed on Nolan as if he’d already delivered judgment.
My words had gotten through to some, but not to him. I wasn’t surprised. I was sure that he couldn’t be moved, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t try.
I could see how deeply the words had shaken Nolan—the rigid set of his jaw, the way his shoulders refused to ease, the storm that flickered in his eyes even as he fought to keep still.
If I let Rowan keep the floor, if I let him frame the entire conversation, the elders might bend to his poison. I couldn’t let that happen.
So I stepped forward again.
“With respect, Elder Rowan,” I began, my voice even, calm—just like I’d learned to speak with the more stub
