Chapter 74

Chapter 74 Seraphina's POV The war council reconvened at dawn. Frost still clung to the stone walls as I entered the chamber, my cloak trailing behind me like shadowed fire. The air inside was tense, charged with unsaid fears and calculations. Callista sat near the hearth, Kaelos by the map table, his fingers tracing the Northern borders. "They'll retaliate," Kaelos said without looking up. "Cassian doesn’t take public embarrassment lightly." "Let him come," I said, voice steady. "He wanted to send a message. We sent one back." Callista raised an eyebrow. "Messages are fine. But we need more than warnings and ash. We need allies ready to act, not just nod." I nodded. "Agreed. It’s time we stop playing defense." I turned toward the table, eyes scanning the map. Maelin, who had ridden through the night to join us, pointed to a cluster of valleys near the Frostmere Gap. "He’s been fortifying this region quietly for months," she said. "Scouts saw convoys headed there—supplies, weapons, eve