Then Galen spoke again. "Rowena," he said quietly.
Aveloria's eyes widened slightly. "Rowena."
Theron looked confused. "What about her?"
"She's missing," Galen said. "Her body wasn't among the dead."
Lucien nodded. "She slipped out. I'd stake my life on it."
Aveloria closed her eyes briefly. "I should have seen that coming."
"And she wouldn't have acted alone," Lucien added. "There's a high chance some of the elders on the council are involved."
Galen grimaced. "I saw some of them turn tonight. Not many, but enough to know this runs deeper than we thought."
Aveloria sank into the chair behind her desk, finally allowing the exhaustion to show. "I wanted to save my kingdom," she said quietly. "I still do. But right now, I feel helpless."
Theron moved before anyone else could speak. He stepped forward and pulled her into a firm embrace.
"You don't have to carry this alone. We're here. All of us." He said.
