Chapter 160 The Aftermath

• || Lilac's POV ||
• The celebration hummed around me, laughter and clinking glasses grating against my frayed nerves. Torchlight flickered across the garden, casting long shadows that seemed to twist like living things. My fingers clenched around my wine glass hard enough to shatter it.
• Ezra had helped Elias to a seat, the picture of gracious victory. My little brother—my sweet, reckless brother—was smiling as if he hadn't just dismantled a seasoned warrior in front of the entire kingdom.