{AURORA'S POV}
The chamber was dim, lit only by lanterns strung along the stone walls. A single lantern burned at the center of the round table, its glow stretching shadows across the walls. I sat with Rhea and Morganna on one side, Alistair and Theo on the other.
Morganna was the first to speak. Her voice was steady, though I could hear the weight beneath it.
"Riven has been our shadow in the lion's den for years. Since he was a boy, he's risked everything, using his position in The Severance to save hundreds of witches from persecution. He warned us of raids, led hunters astray, and kept the enemy blind when he could. If not for him, Nevermoor would have fallen in silence that night. If not for him, we…" She gestured to me and Rhea, then pressed her hand to her chest. "I wouldn't have made it here alive."
