The feast had finally ended. The Great Hall slowly emptied. Loud chatter and heavy scents faded into the night. Val kept his face calm, but his mind was sharp. He had given Rain his orders for tomorrow's big meeting. He could still feel Boreas's furious stare from across the hall. That old wolf knew something was coming. But he didn't know what it was.

Val walked back to his suite. Issa walked quietly behind him. He was thinking about tomorrow's fight with Boreas. He felt a small victory for ...