Chapter 23 The Court Of Fangs And Shadows

The journey to the Council Court carved a trail through snow-kissed valleys and jagged mountain ridges, each mile stripping away familiarity until only silence remained. By the fourth day, the trees had thinned, and the earth had grown sharp and sacred, littered with ancient stones carved with runes in a language long lost to common wolves. Aria rode in silence beside Dominic, the hood of her cloak drawn low. The obsidian charm rested against her heart beneath her tunic, warming and pulsing every time they drew closer to the border of sacred territory.