Lyra's POV
The first attack turned out to be a test, nothing more. Guards drove the intruders back within minutes, smoke still curling from the breached wall, injured students being carried past on stretchers while the rest of us stood there trying to process what had almost happened. Dean Crowe, unbothered by how close the academy had come to real disaster, announced the paired Claiming Ritual would proceed exactly as scheduled anyway, like the attack had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience to his evening.
Under the full moon. In front of everyone.
I stood at the edge of the arena with Kael beside me, the entire academy packed into the stands, moonlight washing everything in pale silver light. My stomach twisted with nerves that had nothing to do with the fight ahead and ever
