(Isla)
I looked around the council chamber without drawing attention to myself. Seven members of the High Council sat across from Caius and me, each carrying years of authority that could be felt without a single word being spoken. Their attention returned to me often, though none of them looked openly hostile.
I rested my hand on the table, and a second later, Caius covered it with his own beneath the edge of the table where no one else could see. The simple touch settled the last of my nerves. Whatever the Council had come to say, I wasn't facing them alone.
The elder let the silence settle before speaking again. His eyes remained on Caius, but I had the feeling every word that followed would affect me just as much.
"Before we begin," he said, "I would like to introduce the members o
