"Are you following me?" I asked, staring up at Kaelen's imposing figure. His broad shoulders blocked the morning sun, casting a shadow over me.
"Yes." His voice was rough, raw with emotion. "We need to talk, Seraphina."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "I think we've done enough talking."
His green eyes flashed with pain. "No, we haven't. Not nearly enough." He stepped closer, hesitating before sitting beside me on the bench, careful to leave space between us. "The Council meeting... I need you to understand what's happening."
"Oh, I understand perfectly," I said bitterly. "You triplets dragged the Council into our mess. As if my humiliation wasn't public enough already."
"That's not—" He raked his fingers through his dark hair. "We had no choice. Damien wants to take you away, and we can't let that happen."
Something in his voice made me look at him more closely. Beneath the usual intensity, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.
