Chapter 7 · Asher's Friendly Offer

"Judge Hale." Asher Lockwood's voice came through the phone smooth as silk over a knife edge. "I heard about the accident last night. How terrifying. Are you hurt?"

Sienna gripped the edge of her desk, phone pressed to her ear. Her ribs still ached from where the seatbelt had caught. Kael stood across the room, arms crossed, watching her with that unreadable expression he wore when he was deciding whether to let her handle something or step in and handle it for her.

She hated that he could read her that well already.

"I'm fine, Speaker Lockwood. Just a few bruises."

"Thank the moon." Asher's concern sounded so genuine it made her skin crawl. "And Mr. Thorne? I understand he was with you."

Kael's eyes narrowed. He could hear every word. Wolf hearing.

"He's fine too."

"Good, good." A pause. "Sienna, I'm calling because the Council has some concerns. Your clerk filed a records request yesterday—very thorough, very specific. Massacre files from fifteen years ago, tribunal archives, bloodline registries. That's sensitive material."

Her pulse kicked up. Leah had promised to be careful.

"It's related to the Thorne retrial," Sienna said, keeping her voice level. "We're reexamining the original evidence chain."