Ronan's POV
The council chamber was cold. Not because of the stone. Not because the torches had burned low. But it was the site of my undoing.
I stood at the head of the table, feeling the all, too familiar weight of every pair of eyes on me. My father sat to my left, his face was unreadable, while Mark, my friend turned rival, lounged across the table, and his eyes were gleaming. The rest of the council members looked tense and let me say expectant.
I swallowed, my heartbeat rolling through me like thunder. I rested both hands on the table. "I… am stepping down as President."
The room went still. The torches blinked. I felt my pulse shoot.
"Excuse me?" my father said, with his voice low.
I met his eyes. "I'm no longer fit for that role. My decisions, or lack thereof, h
