Chapter 5

The summons came at noon. Council hall. One hour. Bring your sketches. The council hall smelled like cedar and old power. Kaden sat at the head of the table in black. Seraphina beside him in white, his grandmother's ring flashing. Lucien Vale by the window, smiling like a man who'd already won. Seraphina slid a drawing across the table. A ceremonial dagger. Moonsilver blade. Ruby-studded hilt. And on the crossguard, two sets of initials twined together. K.B. and S.V. Forever. "You want me to...