The chamber still smelled of smoke and iron from her failed attempt. Alina sat hunched at the edge of the bed, head in her hands, trying to quiet the Veil’s relentless pulse. Her skin still prickled where the barrier had erupted, her wrist thrumming with heat.
Kael paced near the door, his shoulders rigid, the very picture of restraint stretched thin. “This can’t continue,” he said finally, his voice low but sharp. “If the council saw even a fraction of what just happened—”
“They didn’t,” Riven cut in, leaning against the desk she had nearly destroyed. He looked utterly unbothered, a smile tugging at his mouth. “And they won’t. Unless you go running to them with tales of doom, brother.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed. “You think this is a game? She nearly lost herself.”
“She found herself,” Rive
