The council chamber did not feel like the center of power anymore. It felt like a fault line that had begun to c***k beneath everyone’s feet.
Ryker stood at the center of the stone circle with his shoulders squared and his jaw tight. The carved pillars that surrounded the chamber seemed colder than usual, and the long table of elders had become a wall of silent judgment. The air carried the sharp scent of anger and blood that had not yet faded from the battlefield.
Mira remained several steps behind him, though every instinct in her body urged her to stand beside him. The council had demanded that she remain silent while they spoke, and she had agreed only because Ryker had given her a warning glance that told her the room could erupt if she pushed further.
The torches along the walls f
