Nyra opened the first file.
She wasn't just holding another piece of evidence—this felt more like she was pulling back the corner of something massive, something careful and patient that had been hiding just below her awareness, waiting for this exact moment. The ballroom behind her was still shaken, voices rising and falling as guards tried to restore order, nobles got shuffled off, and the memory of the assassination attempt started getting spun into something safer than the truth. But honestly, none of it hit her the way it would’ve just minutes ago.
Everything had shifted. Her world narrowed down to paper, ink, a seal, and all the meaning tangled up in those little pieces.
Kael hovered nearby, close enough that she could sense him without looking. Still injured, holding himself up t
