Chapter 84 Crimson Throne

• Amara didn’t rise from the table until the light fully claimed the sky, gold bleeding through the war room windows like it was cast just for her. The robe was gone, long forgotten in the chaos of hands and mouths. Lucien had draped his jacket over her bare shoulders before she even noticed the cold. Now, it hung open as she stood at the center of the room, barefoot, bruised, radiant—the queen of ash and smoke.
• A knock on the door came, sharp and measured. Lucien moved first, still shirtless, still marked by her nails. He cracked the door, then opened it wider as Cassian entered, his face tight, suit wrinkled like he'd never gone to sleep.
• "We have a problem," he said, eyes flicking briefly to Amara before settling on Lucien.