Lyra’s POV
Ryker looked satisfied when Kael finally begged him. His smug smile grew even wider as he lowered the sword from my throat. I tried to breathe, but the knife pressed against the side of my neck stopped me from relaxing. The guard holding it didn’t move his hand away, and the blade stayed close enough that I could feel every small breath against it. I didn’t dare shift my weight. One wrong move and the knife would cut deeper.
Kael kept his eyes on me the entire time, and that alone told me how scared he was even if he tried not to show it. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, but I heard the slight tremor behind it.
“Ryker, you know it’s impossible for me to step down,” he said. “Ironclaw isn’t something I can hand over. And I already chose Lyra as my Luna.”
The words
