Lucas didn't ask again what she'd meant. He simply reached across the desk and turned his laptop toward her, a document already open. "Let's find out why the date matters enough for a man like Alaric Draven to risk exposing himself over it."
Mia looked at her phone. Kade's message still sat there, unanswered. Are you alright? She wanted to answer it. She was terrified that if she heard his voice, she'd tell him everything.
She pushed the phone face-down again and made herself think instead.
"If Alaric manipulated the Council," she said slowly, "he manipulated people who still believe in the old traditions. Political pressure wouldn't have been enough on its own — he needed someone who'd recognize why the date mattered and vote to protect it without asking too many questions. That means
