CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: THE COST OF MERCY

Morning did not bring relief.

It brought consequences.

The city woke to whispers of the failed assassination attempt, though no official statement had been released. Rumors traveled faster than truth, curling through corridors and streets alike. Some said Aria had slaughtered the attackers. Others claimed she had lost control entirely.

Neither was true.

That frightened the council more than either possibility.

Aria stood in the council chamber alone.

They had not invited Luca.

That alone told her everything.

“The decision has been made,” the elder said, his voice calm in a way that felt practiced. “Effective immediately, Luca Valen is removed from all strategic proximity to you.”

Aria did not react outwardly, but something inside her tightened.

“You do not have the authority,” she replied evenly.

“We do,” another councilor said. “Under emergency security provisions.”

Aria’s gaze swept the room. “This is fear speaking.”

“It is survival,” the eastern leader snapped. “Your mercy nearly got you killed.”

“My restraint saved lives,” Aria countered.

“And proved your vulnerability,” he replied.

Silence followed.

The elder leaned forward. “You were tested last night, Aria. You held back. That restraint, admirable as it is, confirms what we feared.”

Aria’s voice was low. “Say it.”

“You cannot protect the city and keep him close,” the elder said. “One must give.”

Aria laughed softly. Not with humor. With disbelief.

“You think removing him will make me safer?” she asked. “It will do the opposite.”

“Perhaps,” the elder said. “But it will make you obedient.”

The word struck like a slap.

Aria straightened, power humming just beneath her skin. “I am not your weapon.”

“No,” the elder replied. “You are our shield.”

Aria stepped closer. “Then remember this. Shields break when struck from behind.”

The council chamber doors opened before anyone could respond.

Luca walked in.

Blood still stained his shirt from the night before. He looked calm. Too calm.

Aria turned sharply. “You should not be here.”

“I know,” he said. “But they sent soldiers to escort me out of the city.”

The council stiffened.

Luca’s gaze never left Aria. “I wanted you to hear it from me.”

Something in her chest cracked.

The elder cleared his throat. “This is for your protection as well.”

Luca smiled without warmth. “You are afraid of her.”

“Control your tone,” the eastern leader warned.

Luca ignored him. “You believe separating us will restore balance. That she will become manageable again.”

Aria felt the room tilt.

Luca continued quietly. “You are wrong.”

The elder stood. “Enough. Guards.”

Aria moved before they could.

“Stop,” she said.

The word carried weight.

The guards froze, hands hovering uselessly at their sides.

Aria faced the council fully now. “You will not exile him. You will not cage him. And you will not test my restraint again.”

The eastern leader scoffed. “Are you threatening us?”

“No,” Aria replied. “I am informing you.”

Silence stretched thin.

The elder’s eyes darkened. “Then you leave us no choice.”

He raised his hand.

Sigils ignited along the chamber walls.

Aria felt it instantly. Suppression. Ancient. Designed for beings like her.

Her knees buckled.

Luca surged forward. “Aria!”

She gasped as the power inside her screamed, trapped behind invisible barriers. Pain tore through her as the chamber closed in.

The elder spoke grimly. “This is temporary. Until we are certain you can be trusted.”

Aria struggled to breathe. “You… are making… a mistake.”

The eastern leader replied coldly. “So did you.”

Luca reached her, catching her as she fell. His fury was terrifying in its restraint.

“You will release her,” he said.

The elder hesitated.

Luca leaned closer, voice low and lethal. “Or I will show you exactly what she has been protecting you from.”

For the first time, fear flickered in the council’s eyes.

They had underestimated him.

The sigils shattered.

Aria collapsed fully into Luca’s arms, gasping as her power surged back like a tidal wave barely held in check.

She clung to him, shaking.

“I am sorry,” she whispered. “I tried to keep this clean.”

Luca held her tightly. “You did. They did not.”

Alarms rang throughout the chamber.

Guards flooded in.

The elder stepped back, voice raised. “You have crossed a line, both of you.”

Aria lifted her head slowly.

“No,” she said, eyes burning. “You did.”

She stood on unsteady legs, Luca beside her.

“This city is mine to protect,” she continued. “But if you insist on treating me as a weapon, then I will stop pretending I am anything else.”

The council watched in stunned silence as Aria turned and walked out, Luca with her.

Behind them, the fragile illusion of control finally collapsed.

And far beyond the city walls, a familiar presence stirred, smiling at the shift in the balance.

Mercy had its cost.

And Aria had just been forced to pay it.