SKYE’S POV
The Great Hall had never felt so full.
Governors, guild masters, elders, merchants, and military commanders filled the long rows of seats beneath the vaulted stone ceiling. Rain-washed light streamed through the high windows, catching on silver goblets, polished boots, and the countless rings that flashed whenever someone gestured.
The Coronation Council was officially in session.
And every eye in the room seemed to find me.
I kept my shoulders straight as Eryx and I took our places on the dais. The old throne of Nighthaven loomed behind us, carved from black mountain stone and worn smooth by generations of rulers.
For the first time, I did not feel intimidated by it.
I felt aware of it.
Aware of the history pressing against my back, of the lives shaped by the de
