Mira’s POV

The council chamber filled before dawn. They came in pairs, shoulders squared, faces disciplined. I stood at the end of the hall, watching the seats fill one after another. Every step sounded rehearsed, as though unity could be forged from noise. Seraphine entered last, her expression polite enough to seem harmless.

No one spoke first. Even the guards kept their eyes lowered. They waited for someone else to move. Damon sat forward slightly, his hands folded, saying nothing. When ...