Chapter 46

Valerie's POV

Night was heavy, tight against the windows. It didn't come gently when sleep finally claimed me.

I found myself standing in the council hall. The domed ceilings arched overhead, engulfed in darkness. The air was hot, laden with speech—muffled, garbled, hollow voices, half-uttering things I could not quite understand. Each time I tried to concentrate, the voices melted away, leaving o