Everyone turned to Katarina, breaths caught in their throats. Her silence stretched like a blade poised in the air.
What did she see?
They leaned forward, curiosity etched into their faces. Whatever vision Katarina carried might decide the fate of the entire domain.
She swallowed hard, then spoke, voice trembling with the weight of revelation.
"Fury."
The word fell like a stone into a calm lake.
"He was overwhelmed by so much fury… so much pain… he marched entire armies into cities—and burned them to the ground. Mercy became a thing of the past. And the world… the world called him the Blood King."
She stared at them, her pupils wide, almost frightened. "This might be what starts it… this! We—"
The image of the massacre at Velmyra flared through Alec's mind. His jaw clenched, and creases formed deep across his brow. He didn't need Katarina to explain further.
They were all men. They could imagine being in Asher's place. And with a woman like Sapphira?
