Chapter 20

Mara's POV

At dawn, the same hall where Gideon had ordered me to kneel became a courtroom.

I noticed the symmetry immediately, and judging by the silence around me, everyone else did too.

The broken stained glass had been covered with dark canvas. Smoke still marked the western wall. Six hundred Ironwood wolves filled the benches, and delegations from Black Hollow and Ashfall stood along both sides.

Ronan was brought in without restraints.

That had been one of my conditions. Severin had obeyed the wording and surrounded him with eight officers instead.

Ronan looked tired but amused. "Good morning."

"You were arrested twelve hours ago. Why are you cheerful?"

"I slept. You did not."