Mara’s POV
Pressure doesn’t always announce itself.
Sometimes it waits—quiet, patient—until it finds the softest place to press.
It happens three days after the council meeting.
Not with an attack.
Not with a summons.
With a name.
I’m halfway through a briefing with Marcus when the message comes through on the secure line. One line. No preamble.
ROWAN HAS BEEN MOVED.
My breath leaves me in a sharp, involuntary rush.
Declan’s head lifts immediately from where he’s leaning against the counter, arms folded. He doesn’t ask. He already knows.
“Where?” I say, forcing my voice steady.
“Unknown,” Marcus replies grimly. “He was transferred during a scheduled medical check. No clearance. No record. Someone with reach signed off.”
Kieran.
He doesn’t need blood to make a point.
He needs
