(Elara's POV)
I pushed the datapad across the marble with my boot. It skidded away from Kael's hand and stopped near the dais, its screen still showing Lila at the ward console.
An Obsidian Guard swept the moonpetal leaves out of the aisle. Some crushed under his armored heel, and their sweet scent rose for a few seconds before the room's cold air carried it away.
"You believe that is your defense?" I asked. "The file is authentic. It also records that she entered with a token bearing your seal."
Kael stared up at me. "I didn't know."
"You signed the access order." I nodded to the Council Scribe.
The scribe unrolled the authenticated findings. Red Council seals joined healer logs, ward-console audits, witness statements, and Kael's access orders into one record.
Before reading it, h
