Natalie POV
The grand hallway leading to the High Council’s upper gallery was lined with massive pillars of black obsidian that had been polished until they reflected the flickering torchlight like dark, frozen mirrors. The air up here was different from the damp chill of the subterranean isolation block; it was thick with the scent of aged cedarwood, melted beeswax, and the heavy, stagnant aroma of ancient laws preserved by old men who had never touched the mud of a battlefield.
Every step I took was echoed by the rhythmic *clank, clank* of the elite vanguard warriors walking four paces behind us. I kept my head held high, my spine rigidly straight, ignoring the sharp, bruising aches that throbbed across my ribcage and flanks from the brutal collision in the courtyard.
My green silk go
