Cassian's pov

The council chamber was stifling that afternoon. The tension was thick and suffocating as too many words weighed down on all of us.

This was a trying time for my kingdom.

Kin sat at my right, posture rigid, his hawk-like eyes sweeping over every face in the room as though he could sniff out weakness simply by looking hard enough. Caleb was on my left, quieter, but I could feel his thoughts working like clockwork beneath that calm exterior. Across from us sat the other royal ...