Rissa’s POV

The walk to the council room felt longer than it should. My boots made almost no sound against the carpet, but my thoughts refused to stay quiet. Every time I blinked, I saw those amber eyes in the torchlight. I saw the crack in the wall like it had been holding its breath for years, waiting for the moment it would split open.

The council chamber wasn’t made for grandeur. It was a narrow room with a long table worn by years of elbows and ink stains, lit by a single chandelier. ...