Chapter 16

**Secrets Unveiled**

**Athena's Point of View**

The council chamber is packed, and the air is thick with tension. I can feel it pressing down on me as I sit at the long, polished table, surrounded by a sea of stern faces and piercing gazes. The Council members are all present, their wings shifting restlessly as they await the latest revelation. I'm trying to stay calm, but the anxiety in the room is contagious.

Lirael is on one side of me, looking more serious than I've ever seen her, while Arion sits on the other, his expression unreadable. Across the table, Seraphiel presides over the meeting, his imposing presence commanding respect—or maybe just fear.