The private solar sat directly above the papal war room, tucked away from the main corridors of the cathedral-palace. It was a small space with thick velvet drapes that kept out the daylight and only four golden lamps burning low.
A low wooden table in the center held half-empty wine cups, a bowl of bruised apples, and several maps of the capital districts marked with fresh red ink where monster sightings had been reported.
The air carried the sharp smell of incense mixed with the metallic scent that now clung to every woman in the room. Silver fractures glowed faintly beneath their skin like cracks in porcelain.
The harem had gathered without Aiden. He was still below in the war room with his generals, planning the defense of the outer walls. None of them had been invited to that meeting. This one was theirs alone.
