The Palace thrummed with tension.
We didn't even make it to the garage. Everyone was already waiting in the driveway. Guards. A few familiar faces from the Council. Sebastian. And right at the center of it all, the King himself, Ravić's father, standing like a verdict waiting to be delivered.
It felt less like a welcome and more like we were being escorted right into execution.
"Stay inside," Ravić said the moment the car stopped.
Lucien stirred faintly in my arms. I tightened my hold, feeling the soft weight of him against my chest, his tiny breaths brushing the crook of my neck. The rise and fall of his chest should've been calming, but with every heartbeat, the air outside grew heavier, pressing against the windows like a storm about to break.
