Chapter 50

Ronan's POV

The First House stood inside the mountain like someone had carved a government out of a tomb.

Black stone walls rose from the snow. Hundreds of torches lined a wide circular courtyard. Southern Alphas, former Concord officers, Custodians, and founder archivists filled the terraces around the central door.

No one knelt when Severin entered.

That should have reassured me. It did not.

His control had become political instead of magical, which made it harder to see and no less dangerous.

Mara walked beside me under coalition safe passage. Lucien and Soren followed. Our guards remained outside the founder boundary because the House refused entry to anyone carrying an active command seal.

The effect of Vivian's lab