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"My terms ensure survival." The words carried a hint of sharpness beneath their silken surface. "Allow my men to serve in the Umbra forces. Let them enter the Strykka, prove their worth to the realm… to the Void. And we will re-open trade routes to Draxon."

"The Void is sacred," someone called out. "To allow them to?—"

"Sacred?" Valkan's composure cracked for just a moment, revealing something darker underneath. The candles flickered violently, their shadows writhing on the walls. "What good are oursacred traditions if we're all dead? Sídhe grows stronger while we cling to old ways. They must be brought to their knees, and my men know how to do it."

A chill ran across my skin, my web nearly pulsing in the depths of my spine.

"These negotiations cannot be rushed," Urkin's voice cut through the growing chaos. "The Council needs time to?—"

"Time?" Valkan laughed, the sound sharp as breaking glass. "Look around you, General. Time is the one luxury we no longer possess."

He gestured to his men in gray, and they moved forward as one, their movements too smooth to be natural. There was something wrong about them—something that made my skin crawl.

I leaned closer to Effie, keeping my voice barely above a breath. "What's wrong with them? His men—they're not..."

"Don't," Effie whispered sharply, “we will discuss after."

The implication hit me like a physical blow. These weren't just soldiers. They were something else. Something that made even the Umbra seem tame in comparison. And Valkan wanted them in the military, wanted them to enter the Void...

"The Council will deliberate," Urkin announced, but his voice wavered. "Until then?—"

"Until then," Valkan cut in smoothly, "remember that Draxon's bounty could feed your starving people. Remember that my men could end this war. Remember that pride is a luxury the dying cannot afford. And to solidify that memory, enjoy the feast. Courtesy of Draxon’s harvest.”

As he turned to leave, his pale eyes swept the chamber once more, and this time, I was certain they lingered on me.

Bodies began to shift throughout the space, whispers and murmurs echoing through the chamber. The Kalfar filed out in waves, their dark forms blending together in the dim light.

"What's going on, Effie? What is he talking about?" I whispered, trying to mask the dread coiling in my stomach.

"Not here." Her voice was tight. "We need to find the others."

We joined the crowd flowing into the great hall. Ahead, Aether and Vexa stood near a massive fireplace, its flames casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. Something in Aether's posture made me pause—his jaw clenched, shoulders rigid, those golden eyes burning with an intensity I hadn't seen before. His gaze caught mine briefly before shifting to Effie. They exchanged a subtle nod.

Vexa turned down a corridor that branched away from the main hall, opposite from where the crowd was heading. The temperature dropped as we followed, our footsteps echoing off the cold stone.

"Can someone please explain to me?—"

Aether's voice cut through the air. "Wait until we're alone."

"I had no idea the support had shifted so much since our last Conference," Vexa breathed, running a hand through her hair. "And now he's trying to buy everyone's loyalty with a feast, of all things. Deplorable."

"So... are we going to join the fea?—"

"Effie. Really?" The edge in Vexa's voice could have cut glass.

"I mean, it's already here." Effie shrugged, her affected manner returning as she glanced over her shoulder toward the distant sound of voices. "Seems cruel to let it go to waste."

"She's seen enough." Aether's eyes fixed on some distant point, his voice low. "It's time to leave."

"It's more suspicious if we leave," Effie countered. "Urkin will wonder..."

"Let him."

"Who is he? Who is Valkan?" The words burst from me before I could stop them. "Answers. Now."

"He's the Lord of Draxon." Vexa pulled us deeper into thecorridor where it curved left, out of sight. “It’s the city farthest from the rip. On the Southwestern edge of Umbrathia.”

Bile rose in my throat. "You know what I'm asking. Why does he have fertile land while everyone else starves? Why does the Council look at him like he's some kind of monster? What aren't you telling me?"