Chapter 78: A good thing or a bad thing
The council hall smelled faintly of polished cedar and burning sage. Moon light streamed through the windows, softening the edges of the stone pillars. The elders sat in their familiar places, forming a circle around the long table.
At the head sat Orion, broad-shouldered and composed, his fingers drumming lightly against the carved oak. To his immediate right sat Ronan, his second-in-command, his dark hair falling over one brow as he twirled a silver ring between his fingers. The rest of the elders spread outward in their usual order, Lysander with his steady gaze; Caspian, the oldest, wrapped in a heavy cloak; Mary, composed and attentive, Daniel, missing one hand but never his irreverence; and Tobias, whose jaw was always set a little too tight during these meetings and his uninterested gaze.
