Chapter 64

Seris’s POV

“You do know my birthday was coming up, right?” Ronan asked, his tone gentle but insistent, as if he suspected I’d forgotten something important.I forced myself to meet his eyes. How could I ever forget? “I do,” I murmured. My voice trembled slightly. “It’s also the day of the hearing.” A cold knot of dread tightened in my chest. “The council said it can’t be moved.”

Ronan nodded, comforting yet firm. “That’s right,” he said, lifting me effortlessly to my feet. His hands rested on my shoulders, steadying me. “Your birthday won’t be ruined because of me.”

I squared my shoulders against the worry. “You’ll hate the day if everything goes wrong. What if Malrik and Virella aren’t punished? What if it all falls apart?”

Ronan tilted his head, eyes soft with reassurance. He cupped my face and brushed his thumb across my cheek. “Hey,” he murmured, “stop overthinking. We’ll have your party first, then the hearing, with every council member present. N