He nodded, his bright blue eyes fixating on mine with an intensity that belied his age. "I know, Mother," he said. The room fell silent, hanging on the soft timbre of his voice. "The scepter's magic flows through me, whispering secrets of ancient power. It's a part of me, and I am a part of it. In the battle to come, its strength will shield us, its light will guide us."

Even as pride swelled in my chest, a shiver traced the length of my spine. His quiet strength was a balm to our frayed ...