I frowned. “So this is about choosing a side.”
“If they want us to choose, that’s pretty easy,” Riven muttered under her breath.
“Not really,” Ferrula countered. “If we align with thewrongmonarch and they don’t ascend, our lives will be… miserable.”
“They aren’t already?” I said dryly.
Tae chuckled once, low. “Good point.”
The crowd stilled as Major Ledor stepped onto the podium, his expression grave, the wind tugging at his red-trimmed cloak.
His voice cut through the air.
“There has been another Blood Fae attack. This time inRaweath.”
Murmurs rippled through the gathered squads.
“Our enemies grow stronger. And bolder. The threat is no longer distant. It’s here. It’snow.”
He scanned the crowd, eyes lingering on the banners beside him.
“It is time,” he said, “for the guild to unite under one banner. For strength. For survival. For clarity.”
A beat of silence.
“It is time for the guild to choose its leader.”
The air was tense, stretched tight with expectation as squads shifted restlessly under the early morning sun. The sirens had died down, but the silence they left behind was heavier than any sound.
We stood beneath our banner, still catching our breath, when the sound of boots crunching across the stone reached us. Iturned, hand instinctively drifting toward my belt—until I saw them.
The Lowborn Squad.
Teren led the way, his dark eyes calm but determined. Kaila followed close behind, along with Camus, Luthias, and Ayda, their faces tight with something close to grief, but steadied by resolve.
“What’s going on?” I asked as they stopped in front of us.
Teren gave me a crooked smile. “We want to follow Dorian. So… our squad disowned us.”
I blinked.
“Theywhat?”
“They said loyalty to the banner comes before loyalty to the realm,” Ayda muttered, her voice biting. “Guess they weren’t lying.”
I looked at them, their gear hastily packed, their shoulders squared but bruised by betrayal, and I felt something in me settle.
“You’re always welcome with us,” I said.
Teren’s smile grew faintly. “Good. Because we lost our rooms, too. Hope you’ve got enough bunks for a permanent move.”
“We do,” I said without hesitation. “It might getrealcozy, though.”
Tae elbowed Teren. “We’ve got one common room with a bed. I recommend you call dibs on whichever bunk doesn’t squeak.”
Jax smirked. “I’m sure Ferrula and I can switch off with Camus and Ayda.”
“It’s going to suck,” Teren muttered.
