Malrik’s POV

The moment the session adjourned, Vladan and I slipped out of the council chambers and made our way back toward Silverlight. The drive was cloaked in a heavy, oppressive silence, the kind that presses against your ribs until it’s hard to breathe. The South was a storm building on the horizon, and I could feel the air tightening with its approach.

Before I could untangle my thoughts, my phone buzzed. Seraphiel’s name lit up the screen.

I answered immediately, bracing for ...