THE LINE THEY COULDN’T MOVE
Silence held the council chamber in a tight grip.
No one spoke immediately after Liam’s words.
Because no one needed to.
The truth had already been said out loud.
“Then you’ll try to separate us.”
It wasn’t a threat.
It was an observation.
And that made it worse.
The elder’s expression hardened slightly.
“No one is speaking of separation.”
Denise tilted her head just slightly.
“You just finished speaking of regulation of proximity.”
A faint shift moved through the room.
Uncomfortable.
Exposed.
The elder didn’t look away.
“Structure is not separation.”
Liam gave a short, humorless exhale.
“It becomes it when you decide where she can stand next to me.”
That made one of the council members shift in their seat.
Denise felt the pressure in the ro
