Lyra
Kael didn’t answer me right away. He stepped closer and his eyes moved around the dusty room. He opened another door at the back, and I followed him out of the storage area before he could command me to move.
We came out behind the palace, and the sound of metal hitting metal filled the air. I saw a wide training ground stretched out ahead. Warriors sparred in groups. Some threw knives at targets. Some practiced shifting halfway, forcing their claws out. Their movements were fast and powerful.
My chest tightened a little as I watched them. I wanted to be there. I wanted to do something useful, not sit inside being stared at.
“This is where real warriors are made,” Kael said, watching them too.
I stepped forward without thinking. “Can I join?”
“No,” he said quickly.
I turned to
