Chapter 35 — The Lion’s Table
The council chamber was a cathedral of intimidation.
Its ceiling stretched impossibly high, vanishing into shadows that hid centuries of secrets. Every polished stone reflected power in a way that was designed to crush anyone who dared walk its floors. The long table at the center, shaped like a crescent moon, curved around the council seats, where the city’s rulers sat like kings in exile from morality.
Amara’s heels clicked sharply on the marble, each echo a drumbeat of defiance. She had walked into rooms like this before, but none had weighed on her as heavily as this one. Here, the air carried expectation, danger, and history. The chamber demanded obedience. She refused to comply.
Alessandro walked behind her — two paces, silent, lethal. The heat of h
