Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Shadows We Follow

The air was heavy and filled with tension as the council meeting concluded. Aveline waited in the dim chamber, her mind replaying Gabriel's secret words. Her father's connection to the Shadow Council? The idea was unthinkable, but Gabriel's tone sounded way too truthful to dismiss. She had to know more.

When Gabriel excused himself suddenly, his expression guarded, Aveline's instincts increased. He exchanged a few brief words with Cassian near the doorway before disappearing into the night. Cassian's sharp eyes swept the room, waiting on Aveline for way too long a moment as if he sensed her suspicions.

She waited until the room got emptied, her heart pounding as she moved into the corridor. Gabriel's scent was radiating faintly in the cool air, guiding her through the complex tunnels beneath his pack's main hall.