The call disconnected, and a heavy silence settled over the room.
“This has gotten far too messy,” August muttered, pulling our attention back to him. “Too many loose ends.”
“Then it’s time we start cutting them,” Alexander growled.
My heart leapt at his words—and at the promise of violence they carried. But instead of fear, I felt something else entirely.
Relief. He was right. I had come back to stop this, to protect our people. And if that meant certain individuals needed to be taken care of… then maybe I was more of a match for the Ice King than I had ever realized.
“That’s right,” I said firmly. “If the king won’t deal with Archer, then we will. The same goes for Amanda.”
August studied me for a long moment, his sharp gaze searching as if trying to solve a puzz
