Kaelen
The echoes of combat still linger in the underground gym when I leave Nyx behind to shower and change. I should have gone straight to the war room. My father will have already heard reports of the rogues circling the southern ridge, of the shifting patrol lines, of the minor skirmishes that broke out this morning.
But instead of standing at his side, I was in the training hall. Watching Nyx. Watching the way that she gritted her teeth against Talia’s barbed words, refusing to yield an inch even when her body trembled with exhaustion. I should be proud. I am proud. But pride doesn’t matter here. My father is waiting for me.
The council chamber feels colder than usual when I step inside. The heavy oak doors close behind me with a dull thud, sealing me into the room with the one ma
