Lyra’s POV
The council standing at the gate didn’t look like the same group that escorted me into Ironclaw on the first day I arrived. Back then they bowed and treated me with a kind of stiff respect, but now they acted like I was invisible. Not one of them looked at me, and the coldness in their stance made it clear they had no intention of letting any of us pass. It confused me because nothing had changed except our long journey back, and Kael returning to his own territory should have made everything easier, not harder.
Kael’s expression tightened as he stepped forward. “Open the gate,” he said, his voice steady but cold. “Now.”
The head council member flinched but didn’t move fast enough. Kael took another step, and his tone dropped even lower. “I won’t say it again. Open the gate u
