Bailey’s POV
The council chamber had been designed beautifully — high vaulted ceilings and black stone pillars veined with silver. A circular table, carved from a single slab of obsidian, stood at the center, where the elders sat.
I walked into the chamber calmly and stood in a corner of the room, trying not to be noticed.
The seating arrangement was the same as it had always been, and there was no seat reserved for me.
Even though I tried to remain invisible, skeptical glances were thrown my way, making me feel increasingly awkward. I stood quietly, watching the elders begin the meeting, wearing the crimson dress Lia had brought for me.
For the past few days, I had been thinking of every possible way to escape, yet the diamond collar around my neck looked deceptively like decoration.
