The marble hall fell into stunned stillness. Even the air seemed to freeze. Selene straightened slowly, rising to her full height. Calm, deliberate. She turned fully to face Velmira now.
Velmira's fingers clenched around the edges of her throne, nails digging into the polished armrests, the metal groaning faintly under the pressure. Her brows lowered, suspicion flaring in her eyes.
Thaleon could only stare, mouth slightly ajar, as though the breath had been stolen from him.
Everyone in the celestial realm had known of Selene's quiet abdication. Long ago, when the throne fell to her, the High Circle had expected her to rule. She had been their first choice, the most powerful among them.
But instead, she had chosen solitude. A life of quiet, in the House of the Moon. And so the throne was passed to Velmira — the next in line. The next best thing.
But to take it back now? To challenge a sitting Supreme Goddess?
