The Mind's Shadow
✿ Learn to confuse your enemies ✿
ꈍꈍꈍꈍꈍꈍ
The council chamber felt like a cage made of tension.
The air — thick, heavy, and sharp with unspoken challenge — pressed against every wall.
Not even the crackle of the chandelier's flame dared to interrupt.
"I met your beautiful mate, Ariel, today," Derek said at last, his voice smooth as poison.
Each word dripped like acid into the silence, deliberate and cruel.
Horace's eyes darkened, a storm gathering in their depths. Xavier, seated beside him, shifted slightly, his jaw tightening as he hid a clenched fist beneath the table.
I knew this would happen someday, Xavier thought grimly, his mind brushing Horace's with caution.
"To be frank, your highness," Derek continued, his tone oiled with mock admiration, "if I hadn't gone to St. Vincent today, I wouldn't have seen what she looks like. She's… exquisite. Now I see why you keep her hidden and guarded."
