The hallway was empty, silent except for the echo of Elara's boots against the polished obsidian floors.
She was angry—no—she was seething. She had just been training when she heard the news. Another council meeting? What was this? A joke where they could come and lay demands, and Thorne would have to follow up.
She hated it. Oh, she hated it so much. What else would they demand? His blood?
She should have known that this would happen. With their firstborn daughter as concubines of the king, they had access to the palace in disguise of checking on their daughters. Elara was sure they had given their daughters strict instructions on becoming Thorne's chosen mate and queen of Obsidian.
She couldn't let that happen. Elara had been the happiest person on earth when she heard Thorne had been absent. None of them had seen him for days…not until today when he showed up again.
