Wolfe brought the soul vial and claimed me as his before the world.At my wedding.
We hadn’t even gotten to the part where the priest asked if anyone had objected to our union.
Of course, I was desperate to know what was going to happen now.
I was also worried about Thayden. The sentiment of Wolfe being here and bringing an army wasn’t lost on me but Thayden still held power over us.
I forced my gaze back to Thayden. He wouldn’t look at me either.
He’d avoided eye contact and on the way in here, he’d walked ahead of me, falling in line with Prince Maelor’s guards.
The bastard stood perfectly still beside Prince Maelor, but the tension set of his shoulders gave his nerves away. And he was watching the judges with the intensity of a man who understood he was outmatched here. Understandably so. Seeing Wolfe alive must have shattered whatever confidence he'd been clinging to.
For a heartbeat, I expected him to speak first. To try to seize control with words, the way powerful men always did when their carefully laid plans began to crumble around them.
But then I remembered something more that might work in my favor.
Thaydenwas the one at fault here.
Gods, I’d been so fixated on Wolfe that I didn’t think about the bigger picture.
Thayden had no proof that Wolfe had taken me from the mortal lands. None whatsoever.
Wolfe on the other hand... had proof that Thayden had tried to kill him.
The dragons outside—Pyrion and Hedion were witnesses.
They didn’t know his name but they could identify him.
Blessed mother, no wonder Thayden looked like he wanted to disappear.
Feeling the weight of my stare, he finally glanced at me. It was just for a moment but the dread I caught in his eyes gave me more satisfaction than I thought possible.
Thayden turned away and the judges moved.
All eyes were back on them.
Both towering figures stepped forward in perfect synchronization, their ageless eyes fixing on the room with the weight of eons.
"We are ready to begin," they spoke, but their voices merged together as one. A sound like rushing water through a deep gorge.
"The Veil Laws apply here," the merged voice continued. "Under the Accords between realms, you will honor them." The words settled over us like a decree from the Gods themselves.
“We swear our honor,” Wolfe declared.
“We swear our honor.” Prince Maelor followed suit, as did Mattieu and Thayden, but Thayden’s composure seemed to crack just a little bit more.
In unison, the judges turned their gaze to Wolfe. Every movement was perfectly synchronized. From the tilt of their heads, to the shift of their eyes, and even the way their robes flowed. It was as if they shared the same mind and consciousness, but their bodies were split between two towering forms. It was unsettling to watch, but just as fascinating.
Man and Elf-kind were working together with no distinction or discrimination between them. In this room it was a lesson that would fall on deaf ears and blind eyes.
"Wolfe Nightblade," they began, the rushing sound in their voices rising higher. "You have summoned this council to the mortal lands under the Soul Laws of the Accords."
Wait.Soul Laws?
My eyes darted to Wolfe. His grip tightened around the vial, the glass catching the light in his gauntleted fist.
“What are these laws?” I cut in quickly.
