Set in motion

"Nezetta? What in the world has she done now?" Naomi gasped as she snatched the paper from Daegal's grip and glanced through it, her eyes widening with each damning line she read.

Slowly, she set the paper on the table and sat down amidst shuddering breaths.

Azriel's gaze impatiently flickered from Daegal to Naomi. "Well, are you going to share this information with—"

Before he could complete his question, the doors to the council chambers flew open and Chief Topher strolled in. Immediately, Naomi sat up straighter, putting on the strict, dignified pose of Nerina but carefully made sure to only look at him from the corners of her eyes so he wouldn't notice how much her eye color had changed.

"My deepest apologies, Emperor. I would have arrived sooner but there were matters in Drakova that I had to look into," Chief Topher said as he bowed before Daegal.

Daegal nodded stiffly in response, his mind still reeling from the news he had just received.

However, when Chief Topher made to occu