|| Penelope ||
I exhaled sharply as I left the hall, my mind still reeling from the decision that had just been made. It should have been a moment of triumph, a victory secured, yet a gnawing unease settled deep in my chest like an omen yet to unfold. Elijah was on the brink of his downfall, but my uncle? My uncle was another matter entirely. He was cunning — slippery as a shadow in the night. The Ancient Assembly might believe they had him cornered, that justice would be swift and absolute, but I knew better. He never left a trail, not even when my father was assassinated. And I had no doubt — he was involved in that too. The thought curdled in my stomach like poison.
Richard and Lucian walked beside me, their footsteps echoing against the stone floors. Their expressions were unreadable
