Chapter 61

• Elder Vanya exhaled, her stern gaze softening just a fraction—a rare crack in her icy composure. “Very well. Ayla, come with me.” She assessed my messy appearance, a hint of judgment lingering in her eyes. “Something tells me you aren’t very good with people.”
• That was the only thing she got right.
• As she turned to leave, she couldn’t resist one last jab. “Unless, of course, you prefer behaving like unruly children.” The words hung in the air long after she disappeared down the hallway, sharp and cutting, leaving the undercurrents of tension swirling.