You really have no idea do you?

As they stepped through the towering bronze doors, Amira's breath hitched at the sight that greeted them.

Uncle Joseph stood by the far end of the hall, his arms crossed tightly, lips thinned into a hard line. Opposite him was a stern-faced man cloaked in deep green robes, the crest of the Jade Court glinting like a warning on his chest. A long silence stretched between the two men, so thick it almost buzzed in the air.

Amira's boots tapped softly against the marble floor, the sound slicing through the tension. The moment her foot crossed the room, a few heads turned. The the conversations stilled.

Every gaze in the room snapped toward her.

Her stomach curled.

One of the Jade Court men narrowed his eyes, his hand lifting as he pointed directly at her. "Is she the one?" he asked, his voice sharp as a blade unsheathed.