“I have to go.”
Kael’s voice was steady, but his grip on Ivy’s hand betrayed the storm inside him.
The council room fell silent. War maps stretched across the table—lines of red and silver crossing territories like veins.
Ivy shook her head. “No. We have scouts. Warriors. You’re not going alone.”
Kael’s jaw clenched. “It has to be me. The East’s supply lines run through Hollow Fang Pass—terrain only I know. If we don’t cut them off before their main army moves, they’ll surround us.”
Ember folded her arms. “And if you’re captured?”
“Then they’ll be too distracted to see Ivy coming.”
Ivy stood. “Stop talking like I’m a weapon.”
“You are,” Ember said quietly. “A weapon they fear. A future they’re trying to erase before it’s born.”
Kael touched Ivy’s cheek. “We have a chance. To win t
