“How was your meeting with the elders?” Diana asked after a few quiet minutes. They had walked away from the park and found a shaded stone bench overlooking the lake that bordered the eastern side of the territory. The water reflected the late morning sun, calm and deceptively peaceful.
Talon exhaled slowly.
“It was… tiring,” he admitted. “Everyone has their own opinion.”
Diana smiled faintly. “That means they care.”
He gave her a sideways look. “It also means they argue.”
She chuckled softly. “But did you get answers to your questions?”
He hesitated.
“Some.”
The word lingered between them.
Talon leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting toward the water—but his mind returned to the council chamber.
——————
The council room had been heavy with tension.
Aside from his father, there
