Chapter Fifteen
The Call to Judgment
Kael had barely opened his eyes when the summons came.
A raven, black as coal and marked with silver runes, descended on the camp just after dawn. It circled once, then landed on Mira’s arm without a sound. The second she read the silver-etched inscription etched into the feathers, her face paled.
“The Council has summoned Kael and Lyra,” she said, voice hollow. “They demand immediate judgment.”
Lyra’s heart plummeted. “Judgment? For what?”
“For mating under the Blood Moon,” Mira replied. “And conceiving a child while bonded to corrupted magic. They think your union threatens the balance.”
Kael gritted his teeth, pushing himself upright despite the weakness that clung to his limbs like lead. “They don’t understand what’s coming.”
“No,” Mira said
