THE CONFRONTATIONThe High Council chamber was a room built for intimidation. The stone walls were thick, and the long table in the center was heavy and dark. The men sitting around it were even colder. They were the ones who had watched the kingdom bleed and done nothing but count their coins.

I stood by the door, my hands folded in front of me. I tried to look small, like a servant, but my heart was doing a frantic dance in my chest. Demetrius stood beside me. He was wearing a simple tunic, ...