CHAPTER FORTY - When Power Calls Its Due

From across the training grounds, Christine observed their intense conversation. Her eyes narrowed as Emma grabbed Lucas's arm, emphasizing whatever point she was making. Later that afternoon, Christine found Lucas alone in his father's study. "You missed the council meeting," she said, closing the door behind her. Lucas didn't look up from the maps spread across the desk. "Send me the notes." Christine moved closer, noting the areas he had circled. "The search parameters? Lucas, we've been through this." "Something doesn't add up," he insisted. Christine sighed, settling into a chair across from him. "Grief often makes us deny the obvious. It's natural to look for alternatives to painful truths." "This isn't grief talking," Lucas countered. "The bond feels... stretched, not broken." "Phantom sensations," Christine said gently. "Your mind protecting itself from trauma." Lucas finally looked up, his golden eyes fierce. "Or Aria is alive." "Even if that were true, what does it