Maelis

I held my head high, ignoring the stinging pain in my ribs, and walked into the light of the Hall.

I felt their gazes instantly.

Elder Tyler looked at me with pure revulsion. The Council members sneered. They looked at me like I was a stain on their pristine floor.

I saw Mira standing near the front. She gritted her teeth when she saw me, her mask of the grieving wife she'd put on slipping for a fraction of a second. I shifted my gaze away from her. She didn't matter.

My eyes locked on Lucian.

He was standing tall, facing the Council, looking like a lone wolf against...