The Silverfang council chamber had never felt so small.
Carved with the history of both triumphs and executions, the stone walls rose high and chilly. Along the pillars, torches burned steadily, as though the mountain was holding its breath. Warriors, elders, and enforcers stood shoulder to shoulder in the hall, all of them staring at the middle of the space.
On Mira.
She stood alone inside the iron circle etched into the floor, chains heavy on her wrists, spine straight despite the weight pressing down on her chest. She could feel the judgment, the hunger for resolution. Some wanted her dead. Some wanted her to be claimed. None wanted her free.
Whispers moved through the crowd like insects.
“Enemy blood.”
“Nightshade’s daughter.”
“She heard everything.”
Mira kept her face calm, ev
