Evelina's POV
I read Dara's letter again before I let myself react, because anger wouldn't help if I'd missed what Malik was actually trying to do. Caspian read over my shoulder without asking, which I let happen because there wasn't much point pretending this concerned only me anymore.
Malik had gone before members of the council, though not in person. He was no longer arguing that my removal of him was invalid.
Renner's ruling had made that position too hard to hold. Instead he'd changed the argument entirely. I might be Luna, but Ren was his biological son, and Malik had started calling him his heir.
The worst part was how little Malik had to lie. I had taken Ren north. Ren was his son by blood. Ren was living in territory generations of wolves had been taught to fear.
Malik only
