Malrik’s POV
Ysolde’s account still clung to me like poison, leaving a bitter weight that refused to settle. Anger coiled hot in my chest, seeping into the air around me. These men wanted to bury themselves in old fears, twisting half-truths into weapons of convenience, but I would not stand by and let them justify another act of cruelty. If they chose to press the matter, they would have to face me and they all knew the cost of that.
“Rhydian broke a rule,” Xerion snapped, his voice sharp, dismissive. “Had he followed the law, that threat never would have reached his family. He brought it on himself.”
The words barely landed before Cassian growled, the sound low, primal, and dangerous.
“This meeting is a waste of time,” Cassian cut in, his tone as sharp as a blade striking steel. His
