I grind my teeth, frustrated at his caution, but he has a point. For once I have to play this by her emotions, not just mine. “Fine. We plan it. But tonight we act. And in the meantime, we find this traitor.”
The rest of the meeting is a blur of tactical planning: wards to reinforce, patrol rotations, secret watchers hidden in shadows, every available mage whispering silent scanning spells throughout the castle. I barely hear it. Lena and Idris fill in gaps, Marcus stands back strategizing. But my mind is far from their plans – it’s back at the training yard, on Amara, every step, every breath.
Eventually, we come to no tidy conclusion, only a list of actions. It isn’t enough to soothe the white heat in me. As soon as possible, I break away. I can’t endure any more talk, more
