Thalia's heart skipped when Aurelius said they needed to talk.
She gulped and followed him as he walked ahead, his steps measured and controlled in a way that suggested he was holding something back. They left the circular council room behind and moved through stone corridors carved with tribal patterns. The other council members watched them go but said nothing, and the silence felt heavy as they walked deeper into the building.
He turned down a hallway that led to an open courtyard, somewhere away from the main gathering spaces where voices wouldn't carry. When he decided it was private enough, he stopped and turned sharply to face her.
She took a breath to steady herself and met his eyes, waiting for whatever he was about to say.
Except he wasn't looking at her. His gaze fixed somew
