Alexander POV
The council hall had never felt this suffocating.
It was meant to be a place of clarity, of reason. Where decisions were weighed with wisdom, not paranoia. But today, the walls felt too close, the torches too hot, and every word tossed like it carried poison.
Because today… they were talking about her.
Eliana.
My mate.
And the air was thick with doubt.
“She’s unstable,” Elder Ruvan said, the rings on his fingers clinking as he leaned forward. “We all felt it. That last summoning split the western ridge. The very ground cracked. What happens next time? What if it’s the inner village?”
“She didn’t mean to—” Astrid started, voice sharp.
“She didn’t control it,” Councilor Maelin cut in, his robes swishing as he stood. “Intent doesn’t matter when the risk outweighs it. We
