76. A Crown Decided In Shadows.

Adrian’s POV

The council hall felt colder than usual.

Not because of the weather.

Because of the people inside it.

I walked in slowly, my boots echoing against the ancient stone floor. My eyes moved across the hall, studying every face, every expression, every little movement. Elders sat in their usual places, pretending calm, pretending wisdom. Some of them couldn’t even meet my eyes.

They already knew why I was here.

Lucy sat at one corner of the hall.

Quiet.

Still.

Watching me.

Her posture was calm, but I knew better now. I could feel her tension, her hunger, her fear, her ambition. It rolled off her in waves. I didn’t look at her for long. I didn’t want her thinking she had power over my attention.

I stopped at the center of the hall.

“I’ve agreed,” I said, my voice steady and cold. “She will be crowned as Luna.”

For a moment, the hall was silent.

Then—

Relief.

Happiness.

Excitement.

It spread across the council members like wildfire. Murmurs filled the air. Some nodded. Some smiled openly. Some looked like they had just won a battle without lifting a finger.

They were pleased.

Too pleased.

I watched them carefully.

Matthew didn’t smile.

Caleb, standing slightly behind me, stayed quiet.

The seer sat still, her eyes lowered.

And me?

I felt nothing.

Lucy’s father—Rowan—stood up almost immediately.

“If that is the case,” he said smoothly, “then we should crown her tonight.”

The words hit the room hard.

Tonight.

My jaw tightened.

Lucy didn’t move, but I felt the shift in her energy. Surprise. Hope. A flicker of triumph she tried to hide.

Before I could respond, the seer stood up.

“No,” she said firmly.

The hall fell silent again.

“She must undergo proper training,” the seer continued. “A Luna is not crowned overnight. Power without preparation is dangerous.”

Rowan turned to her slowly.

“There is no time,” he replied. “The eclipse is coming. Three months. That is all we have.”

Three months.

The words echoed in my head.

Rowan turned his attention back to me.

“The sooner she is crowned, the better prepared we will be,” he said.

I looked at him.

Really looked at him.

At the man who smiled too easily. Who spoke like he already owned the future. Who had pushed his daughter into a place she barely understood.

“No problem,” I said.

The room stilled.

“I’ve agreed,” I repeated. “Do what you want.”

Lucy’s breath caught.

Matthew’s head snapped up.

Caleb stiffened.

The seer’s eyes lifted slowly, sharp and knowing.

I turned away.

I had said enough.

I walked out of the council hall.

Lucy’s POV

My heart was pounding so loud I was sure everyone could hear it.

When Adrian walked in, the room changed.

It always did.

He didn’t rush. He didn’t bow. He didn’t greet anyone. He walked like he owned the ground beneath his feet, like the hall existed because he allowed it to.

And when he spoke—

“I’ve agreed. She will be crowned as Luna.”

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

It worked.

It actually worked.

I felt warmth rush through my chest, pride swelling so fast it almost scared me. The council’s reaction only made it sweeter. Smiles. Nods. Approval.

They wanted this.

They wanted me.

My father stood up, confident, like a man who knew the game had turned in his favor.

“Then we should crown her tonight.”

My fingers curled into my palms.

Tonight.

Before Adrian could change his mind.

Before anything could go wrong.

But then the seer stood.

“No.”

The single word cut through the room.

My jaw tightened.

She talked about training. Preparation. Danger.

I hated how calm she sounded. Like she was the only one thinking clearly.

My father answered her quickly.

“There is no time. The eclipse is three months away.”

I turned my eyes back to Adrian.

This was the moment.

If he said no—

But he didn’t.

“No problem,” he said.

My chest fluttered.

Relief.

Victory.

Fear.

All mixed together.

He didn’t look at me.

He didn’t smile.

He didn’t care.

That hurt more than I expected.

When he turned and walked out, something twisted painfully inside me.

This wasn’t how I imagined it.

Caleb followed him.

The seer stood and left too, but before she did, she turned toward my father.

She smiled.

It wasn’t a warm smile.

It wasn’t kind.

It was sharp.

Dangerous.

A warning.

My father didn’t flinch.

He smiled back.

Then he spoke calmly.

“We should prepare.”

The words settled heavily in my chest.

Prepare for what?

I stayed seated, staring at the empty space where Adrian had stood.

I was closer than ever.

Yet somehow…

I felt further away than before.