Kerrigan saw no one in the mountain. Whatever Lorian had orchestrated, he’d done it well. It left Kerrigan with only one option.

She dropped into the spirit plane, like dunking into water. Her feet still moved along at the even pace the guards were carrying her at, but she spent all of her focus on reaching out to Tieran.

He soared over. Kerrigan? Are you hurt?

“No. But I was detained. I don’t know where they’re taking me, but Lorian set this up.”

I was taken in the aerie. I’m being held in a guarded room. They won’t tell me what’s going on either.

Kerrigan sighed heavily. Great. No easy escape. “Try to speak to Netta if you can. Tell her what’s happening and to send Fordham. He can help get you out.”

Do you think this is the end? Am I going back to the Holy Mountain?

“Not if I can help it,” she told him.

He nodded once fiercely. I’ll reach out to Netta.

Kerrigan bounced back into her body, a shiver of fear settling through her as the guards hauled her before the open council doors. All twenty members and the presiding officer sat in the chamber, wearing the black Society robes. She caught Helly’s eyes across the room. She looked stricken, and for the first time, she didn’t offer any comfort. Kerrigan looked to Bastian, who looked equally grim. Lorian looked smug as hell. But it was the forbidding faces of the other council members she was acquainted with that made her nervous. Masters Kress and Lockney didn’t make eye contact. Master Boze looked perturbed that she was even in the council. Mistress Anahi kept twirling a box braid, her face perfectly blank. Even Mistress Alsia looked worried, and she had been firmly in Kerrigan’s corner.

“Please step forward, Kerrigan,” Presiding Officer Malwin Zoh said. He was a grisly, old Fae. Though he’d taken care to keep wrinkles from his face and gray from his hair. Rumor had it that he had personal healers on hand to keep him looking as young as ever. No chance he was going into the abyss anytime soon.

The guards released her with a little shove, and she stumbled forward into the cavernous council room. Not only was it large enough to fit the entirety of the Society if need arose, but the room also soared ever higher with places for dragons to be in attendance. Today, there were no dragons to speak for her.

She stopped at the podium before the twenty-one assembled elected officials. “Thank you, Master Malwin. Perhaps you could illuminate the reason for my detainment and being brought before the council.”

“If I may, Presiding Officer,” Lorian interjected.

“By all means,” Master Malwin said.

Kerrigan bristled. That wasn’t good. Having the head of the council defer to Lorian couldn’t mean anything good.