"NOW… I HAVE NO CHOICE."
The silence after Elin's confession stretched like a wire pulled too tight, ready to snap.
Grayson's hand remained wrapped around Mailah's, his grip the only thing tethering her to reality as the weight of Varrow's impending arrival settled over them like a shroud.
"We'll discuss this tomorrow," Grayson said finally, his voice carrying an authority that left no room for argument. "When we're all rested and thinking clearly. Right now, we need sleep."
"Sleep?" Lucien's laugh was hollow. "After learning we have a supernatural warlord still coming for us?"
"Especially after that," Grayson countered. "Exhaustion makes us vulnerable. We need to be sharp."
Oliver nodded slowly. "He's right. We can't strategize effectively like this."
Elin looked like she wanted to protest, guilt written across her features, but she simply nodded and retreated to her room without another word.
