Kael’s POV

The council chamber was tense. The elders whispered, and all eyes fixed on Mira. Seraphina stood with calculated calm. Her words still hang in the air like poison.

Kael sat rigid, and fists closed on his knees. He had tried to stay silent. And bound by the neutrality his position demanded. But Seraphina’s accusations cut too deep. Mira stood alone.

“A child born of forbidden blood weakens us,” Seraphina said. “It draws curses and ruin.” Her gaze swept through the hall ...