The members gathered in the Grand Arena, the largest fighting field in the sect. There were thousands of them, filling the stone terraces like a flood of bodies.
When I entered, the sound swelled.
"Traitor!"
"Deceiver!"
"You bring shame to the sect!"
Their words struck like thrown stones. I kept my head high, every step deliberate. My team followed close — Rikan to my right, Kael and Orin behind, Mehmet bringing up the rear. They didn't flinch despite the hostility aimed our way.
Elder Malik sat at the highest dais, beside him Elder Harun, their robes catching the afternoon light. Elder Aziz, unsurprisingly, was also present — his expression smug, almost satisfied.
Elder Malik's voice boomed across the arena, calm but commanding.
"Disciples of the Blistering Sands Sect," he began, "you have all heard the rumors. I will confirm them now, so there is no more confusion."
The murmuring swelled like thunder.
