Face calm. Breathing steady. Internally on fire.
Waiting was the only play left. It wasn't over until it was over. How long they all had to sit there staring at a dark map like idiots was anyone's guess.
Darwin slow-clapped. Once. Twice.
"There we have it," he announced, gesturing at the dark map like a teacher presenting a failed experiment. "Shame. I was almost rooting for her. Should someone escort her out or is she going to sit there until the map feels sorry for her?"
Then.
Lunaris ignited.
Pure white with gold at the edges to outline it. Brighter than anyone's on the map.
It detonated from the Lunaris territory like a sunrise compressed into a single second, flooding the carved borders with a radiance so bright that every face at the table was washed in it.
Guinevere blinked at it for a second, not believing it herself.
Thank fuck.
