Chapter 69

Chapter 69 Seraphina's POV By morning, the castle buzzed with activity. Every corridor was filled with messengers, aides, and guards moving with purpose. The scent of ink, parchment, and freshly brewed tea clung to the war wing like armor. I moved through the halls with Callista and Kaelos flanking me, my mind still half caught in the fog of last night. Darius's words still echoed—but so did my answer. There was no room for regret. "Report from Hollowreach just came in," Beta Merren said, falling into step beside us. "Cassian's envoys are still there. They’ve started drilling with Hollowreach patrol units." Kaelos cursed under his breath. "That’s not diplomacy. That’s occupation." Callista snorted. "He’s tightening the leash. Testing how far he can stretch our silence." "Then we don't stay silent," I said. "Summon the envoy from Hollowreach. If they won’t come, we send one of ours. Either way, they answer for this." We reached the war room and immediately the table came alive with disc