Lyra's POV
Standing in front of Alaric's imposing desk felt like facing a firing squad. The weight of his disapproval pressed down on me as I stood flanked by Killian and Ash. None of us dared to speak, our heads lowered under the intensity of his withering stare.
Beyond the office door, I caught fragments of whispered gossip from Poppy and Roxanne, their voices dripping with malicious satisfaction.
Each second stretched into an eternity as we waited for Alaric to deliver whatever punishment he deemed appropriate. The silence was suffocating.
The walk across campus had been a nightmare of barely contained fury. Alaric had said almost nothing, his jaw set in stone as he marched us toward his office like prisoners heading to their execution. He'd curtly dismissed Poppy and Roxanne to the outer office before herding the three of us inside.
