Chapter 65

War council.

Kieran’s POV

In no time, the council chamber was full. The long oak table stretched down the centre of the room, now surrounded on all sides by seasoned warriors, guards, and elders—everyone who still had a stake in this war. The younger warriors stood behind them, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. The question was, were we ready for the war that was coming?

Tobias stood to my right, jaw tight with his arms crossed. On my left, Elara and Saffron were both composed and alert, their presence grounding me more than I wanted to admit.

I cleared my throat, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. Everyone turned their full attention toward me. “We are here to discuss our next course of action,” I began, my voice steady despite the tremor in my gut. “Lilith has escaped.”

Gasps and curses rippled across the room.

“She escaped the dungeons an hour ago,” I continued, voice hard. “She killed one of our own, Nick, and esca