Nathan’s POV

The council meeting ended with the scrape of chairs and the low murmur of goodbyes. I stood, adjusting the cuffs of my jacket, keeping my eyes fixed ahead as Jackson rose from his seat across the table. The other councilmen filed out, their voices fading down the hall, until only the two of us remained in the grand chamber.

For a moment, there was silence, the kind that stretched too long, the kind that warned of something sharp waiting underneath. Then, I heard the soft tap of ...