They moved like a pack that had lost its map.
Kael walked first. His steps were quick. He had the ledger folded into his coat, close enough that Lyria could see the edge of burned paper. He did not let anyone touch it. Not the elders, not his mother, not the shadowed officers who had come with her.
"Lock every gate," he told the guards as they passed through the courtyard. "Check every rider roster. No one out, nobody in, without my say."
The guard captain bowed and sprinted. Orders sent people like dominos. Lyria heard doors bang, hooves, men shouting names. The Summit was supposed to be a show of power and law. Now it was a cage.
Ronan walked behind them, using a cane he had carved himself. His breathing was still shallow but steady. Mira kept pace at Lyria's side. She squinted into the gray light and didn't pretend to be calm.
