Elena's POV
"The council doesn't usually meet twice in one evening."
Damian's voice was low, meant only for me, as we followed the elder down a corridor that led away from the ballroom's glittering warmth into something quieter, more formal, a private room paneled in dark wood that felt worlds away from the string music and champagne we'd left behind.
"Should I be worried?" I asked.
"Honestly? I don't know yet." His hand found the small of my back, steady despite the tension I could feel radiating through him. "Just follow my lead."
The room held more people than I expected… a dozen faces, ranging from elderly to unnervingly youthful, arranged around a long table in a formation that made the space feel more like a tribunal than a gathering. The elder woman took her seat at the head of
