Brielle POV
We left the war room as one.
Jake didn’t say much after that,he didn’t have to. I felt it in the way his hand lingered on my lower back as we walked the corridor. I felt it in the flick of his gaze, sharp and watchful, even when the halls were quiet. He was choosing silence for now.
But I knew it wouldn’t last.
Because Arthur wasn’t finished.
And Silvermoon had ears everywhere.
By the next morning, the whispers started.
It started with silence.
Not the usual kind—the respectful hush when I entered a room, the brief pause in conversation when warriors remembered who I was.
No, this silence was different.
Tighter.
Pointed.
The kind that made your skin itch before a single word was said.
It was late morning, and I was crossing the west corridor after reviewing patrol
