{Elira}
~**^**~
The Council building, tucked beside the Hall of Records, loomed taller the closer we drew. Its polished stone façade gleamed under the midday sun, the wolf crest etched into the double doors catching the light like sharp silver.
Two usher students I'd never seen before on my trip here, stood at attention in dark uniforms, their expressions flat, almost smug, as if they'd been waiting. Expectant.
We stopped just short of the steps, the murmurs of trailing students forming a half-circle at a safe distance. Their whispers hummed at my back like hornets, every word meant to sting.
Nari squared her shoulders. "We are going in with her."
One usher stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. "Only the student summoned, is expected. The rest of you may wait outside."
Juniper's eyes narrowed, her voice laced with scorn. "Expected? You mean dragged through the mud in public, then paraded here like some criminal."
