Chapter 97

• Kael’s Pov
• The message came at dawn, sealed with the Ironclaw crest. I didn’t need to break it open to know it would leave a sour taste in my mouth. Their tone alone, bold enough to reach me through an emissary and not in person, was enough insult. But as my eyes skimmed through the carefully phrased words, a heavy silence pressed against my chest.
• They dared to question the coronation of Alera. They dared to disregard my authority, as though my command was nothing but empty words echoing in the wind. Ironclaw, Nether, and Ashfang, the very clans who should have been seated by my side in loyalty had chosen to challenge me. Their absence from the ceremony was their first strike of disrespect, and this letter was the second.