THE MOMENT the doors close behind the last Council member, my knees buckle.
Strong arms catch me before I hit the ground. Seth’s scent—cedar and night air—wraps around me as he pulls me to his chest. My fingers clutch at his shirt, the fine fabric bunching in my fists.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs into my hair.
I can’t stop shaking. The adrenaline that kept me standing through that interrogation drains away, leaving me hollow and trembling. Seth’s hand spreads across my back, steadying me, and I hate how much I need his touch right now.
“That was quite a show.” Kael’s voice penetrates the fog in my head.
I force myself to look up at him. He’s watching me with something that might be admiration in those calculating eyes.
“Impressive, really.”
“I had a feeling Zane would drag the Counci
