Elara POV
The news of the burning farms didn't stop the Blood-Iron Pack from sending a formal summons for the neutral-ground gala, and Kael spent the entire morning pacing his study while he stared at the gold-edged invitation as if it were a death warrant. He eventually turned to me with a look that said he had made a choice I wasn't going to like, and he told me to get ready because I was going with him, but I wasn't going as a guest or a member of the Shadowfang council.
"You’re going as my bonded servant, Elara, because if I leave you here while the Silvercrest army is on the move, Aria will have your head on a spike before I reach the neutral border," Kael said, his voice tight as he tossed a heavy silk gown onto the bed that was a deep, dark red.
"So I’m just a piece of proper
