Chapter 22
JULIAN POV The council dispersed before sunset. Not because they had reached an agreement. Because they hadn’t. Some supported me. Some pretended to. The rest were waiting to see who would make the first mistake. Politics had always been more dangerous than war. War announced its arrival. Politics smiled before it stabbed you. I walked through the western corridor in silence, Magnus and Cassian following several steps behind. Neither of them spoke until we were out of earshot. Magnus broke the silence first. “You don’t trust the council.” “No.” “Cousins?” I looked ahead. “Some.” Cassian sighed. “This is going to become exhausting.” “It already is.” We reached the gallery overlooking the inner courtyard. Servants were sweeping away broken pieces of stone left by the mo
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