Dust and ash clung to Cassie as she followed Theodoric across the palace grounds, the distant glow of the ward anchors barely visible through the haze of smoke. Her ribs throbbed with every step, but she forced herself to keep moving, matching Theodoric’s pace.

  The night air was thick with tension, the faint sounds of distant shouting reaching their ears as they approached the palace. Cassie’s mind raced with thoughts of Esther, the crumbling chapel, and the fragments of power the Velkan Consortium seemed to control.

  Theodoric didn’t speak, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. The strain of the night’s events showed in the tightness of his jaw and the way his fingers curled instinctively around the hilt of his sword.

  As they passed through the gates, the sounds of the palace hit them like a wave. Raised voices, hurried footsteps, and the clatter of armor filled the air, a cacophony of fear and anger.

  “This isn’t just panic,” Cassie muttered, glancing toward Theodoric. “It’s unraveling.”

  “It always does,” he replied, his tone grim.

  They entered the main hall, and the storm of chaos became fully apparent. Nobles crowded the chamber, their voices raised in frantic argument. Servants darted between them, their heads bowed and their movements rushed. Along the walls, guards stood stiffly, their pale faces betraying their uncertainty.

  Cassie pushed forward, her focus unwavering as she trailed Theodoric. Whispers and glances followed them, speculation swirling around their presence like smoke.

  Near the far corner of the hall, she spotted Dietrich. He stood surrounded by a group of nobles and officers, his posture rigid and his expression carefully neutral. His sharp tone cut through the murmurs around him as he gestured toward the distant flicker of the wards. Cassie couldn’t make out his exact words, but the intensity of his conversation was clear.

  Her stomach twisted. Dietrich wasn’t just trying to steady the court—he was calculating, positioning himself for what came next.

  Theodoric didn’t stop to engage with his brother or the gathered nobles. His steps carried him toward the council chamber at the far end of the hall, his shoulders squared against the storm of chaos around them.

  Cassie hesitated briefly, her gaze lingering on Dietrich and the fractured court. The cracks in their unity were widening, the fragile alliances built over years threatening to shatter completely.

  With a sharp breath, she turned and followed Theodoric. There wasn’t time to waste.

  The palace was a storm of anger and fear when they returned. Nobles crowded the main hall, their voices raised in frantic debate. Guards lined the walls, their faces pale with uncertainty. Rumors of the ward collapse spread like wildfire, each exaggeration more dire than the last.

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  Cassie moved through the chaos with purpose, Theodoric a step ahead.

  In the far corner of the hall, Cassie caught sight of Dietrich, his posture tense as he spoke with a cluster of his supporters. His expression was carefully neutral, but there was no mistaking the sharpness in his tone.

  Theodoric didn’t pause, his steps taking him toward the council chamber. Cassie hesitated for a moment before following, her thoughts turning to the fractured state of the court.

  It wouldn’t take much for this tenuous alliance to shatter completely.

  The council chamber was heavy with tension as Cassie and Theodoric entered, the strained voices of the gathered nobles cutting off at their arrival. The remaining council members—those who had not fled or fallen silent in the wake of the recent chaos—watched with wary eyes as Theodoric strode to the center of the room.

  Cassie lingered a step behind, her posture rigid. The tension from the main hall outside seeped into the chamber, unspoken but palpable.

  “You’ve kept us waiting,” one noble said sharply, his tone edged with frustration. “The palace is crumbling around us, and the wards are failing. We need answers, not your silence.”

  Theodoric didn’t flinch. “And you’ll get answers, if you’re willing to stop shouting long enough to hear them.”

  That silenced the noble, though his lips pressed into a thin line.

  “The Velkan Consortium,” Theodoric began, his voice carrying authority, “has infiltrated our kingdom. Their influence is deeper than we feared. The sabotage of the wards is part of a larger plan to destabilize Verona, and they’ve already begun executing it.”

  Cassie stepped forward, placing the bloodstained letter onto the table. “This was recovered during the attack,” she said. “It confirms what we suspected: there are traitors among us, working to undermine the palace from within.”

  The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale.

  “This is preposterous,” one of them finally muttered.

  “Is it?” Theodoric snapped, his sharp gaze pinning the speaker. “Look around. The wards are failing. The guards are stretched thin, fighting conspirators who know this palace better than some of you. Do you really think this is a coincidence?”

  The noble fell silent.

  “What do you propose?” another council member asked, their voice trembling with barely concealed fear.

  “First, we secure the ward anchors,” Theodoric said. “If they fall, the kingdom will be defenseless. But we need the court unified to maintain order here.”

  “Unified?” scoffed one of the skeptics. “The court is in shambles. Do you think a few words will change that?”

  Cassie’s patience snapped. “Then figure out how to hold it together, because if you don’t, it won’t matter. The Consortium isn’t waiting for you to get comfortable—they’re betting on this chaos to finish what they’ve started.”

  Her words struck a chord, silencing further protests.

  “We’ve already identified one traitor—Esther,” Theodoric continued. “Her escape only confirms her guilt, and she isn’t the only one. The guards are investigating, but the conspirators are counting on our divisions to give them an advantage. We can’t afford to let them.”

  “And if we fail to stop them?” a noble asked quietly.

  Theodoric’s voice turned cold. “Then Verona falls, and all of us along with it.”

  The chamber was silent. Finally, one of the nobles let out a heavy sigh. “You have our support. For now.”

  Theodoric inclined his head, his expression unreadable. “Then let’s get to work.”

  As the nobles began filing out, Cassie lingered near the doorway, her gaze fixed on Theodoric. “Do you think they’ll hold?”

  He glanced at her, his expression grim. “They don’t have a choice.”

  Cassie nodded, though the unease in her chest remained. The court might have agreed for now, but beneath the surface, the fractures were growing wider.