The morning began with a sky the colour of steel, heavy clouds pressing low over Ravenclaw as though the heavens themselves braced for a storm. Evelyn walked into the training grounds, her cloak snapping in the cold wind, and instantly felt the shift in the air. Warriors who once greeted her with open respect now stood in clusters, whispering behind their hands. Their gazes flicked to her and away again, sharp as daggers.
Something had changed overnight.
George was the first to meet her, his eyes grave. "They are restless," he murmured. "Some of the families are spreading rumours. They say your circle is not loyal to the Alpha but only to you. They call it the beginning of a split."
Evelyn's jaw tightened, though her face remained composed. "Let them whisper. Whispers cannot break me."
