Chaim's POV
The resolution of the Shadowfen Steel Pack crisis brought relief, though I couldn't shake my frustration over how long it had taken anyone to act. The delay had cost lives and trust that would take years to rebuild.
My mother had secured us accommodations at an upscale hotel, insisting she needed to oversee our new servants personally. Her distrust of the Council ran deep, carved by years of political maneuvering and betrayal. However, Elder Theo had managed something unexpected. He'd earned her grudging respect during our absence, proving himself capable of handling both her sharp tongue and her deeper suspicions about the remaining Elders.
The fact that Elder Dwayne and my father also trusted Theo had given him the opening he needed. Trust was a rare commodity in our world, and Theo had somehow managed to collect it from the right people.
