apes from t

he entrance hall just as anothe

n heartbeat,

e panic

arble floor, splintering into glittering shards. Another group of armed guards burst in, their boots skid

dn't b

isappeared so quickly my

you do?' I

y ans

ke curled above the front gates and covered the afternoon sun. Behind the smoke, st

't simply

e breaki

l it hurt. "They're inside!"

t the east

pen across his shoulder. Blood stained the sleeve of hi

d toward him. "Ho

we don

h. "They came out of the f

nt of her dress, and her f

not hap

ured guard by the sho

in gasps. "They

rtrate

st a s

and lowered his voice. "They're

hrough the room li

said

rstand the name were frightened

cow

on C

are about

in my chest, as if those words had

t was under m

nd to the crescent-shaped bir

as w

inful,

...

d my ha

been my i

t not

ice made me

he stairs, staring right at me.

I

to you

ore, lacking any trace of the false kind

top

veryo

t like

oward me. "I care th

more than they

reply another v

n't be n

ha

oke the room see

in the middle of the battle outside. Debris powdered one shoulder o

golden,

where I ca

other smile. "Alpha,

't th

in a lo

n't hav

und its natur

ly. "Alpha Kael, perhaps we can hav

at him for

ates ar

plosion rumbled th

ds are pul

ere was another explo

r estate looking for a girl you'

es gre

rsation is already

mouth c

it ag

d no

ach wen

cr

body keep usi

n't h

s

o

ly lived

r.

aus

ped away before

explained why I wasn't

een to school wit

festival happe

hed my

i

ocked

tains w

exc

all th

ash broke in u

doors bu

e hall before collapsing

Report." "They've broken t

They're moving straigh

hard. "They're ign

p with frig

t only t

was si

all the eye

twisted in

h

et these pe

left thi

strangers w

en

n doorway ther

yell

me

y of a

o

o

silence every voi

ebumps on

d for the first ti

af

owle

w the

in front

a

e was seek

most ordinary thing in

came on

rt

omeone else

anoth

orest seemed al

rds dashed to his

is eyes on

've brought mor

ed. "They've b

uce the temperat

ed past the screen

ds began to draw b

at a

new just wha

en

w stepped thr

ed on t

an unnatural s

n it gr

rtainty that set

ere to seiz

d arr

my

d just outside the

moment no

outside seeme

nt to take

in the wind. There was a hood that covered most of its face, but two silv

gri

wa

nd what they'd been looking for

swallowed

where you

expecting someone

ody

ture loo

dry. "I... I d

've known about you sinc

lls down

mpletely blocking the creature from s

not go an

d softly. "I knew y

t Kael. "The infam

d you're

ressionless. "And I

ed from the s

ows swarmed around his boots, rippling over

diately tighten

ething at

't protect

t protecting

circle around

d

my hear

h

k their lives for someone the

ad a little. "Do you even

nt's hesitatio

ow en

don

to me. "Ask her if she

. "Lyra. That'

hed. "That's what

d like a stone i

ast before you cou

ced at

had tur

uld not look

ed inside me. "Wh

them answer

but heavy enough to mak

l h

llowed thi

." "

ying to s

"It wasn't

ake it

lln

s your chest until yo

'd called Father for

small. "If you

say

he look

thought I saw g

r swallowed

gave a thea

I'll do i

slow ste

ed their weapons

rang in the h

er did as

cause

ow," he said, "this whole batt

mi

ointed right at me.

kill no

om was

en look in my

any li

ok his head. "..

d no,"

again. "You've alw

le who can't s

ething in the go

fer

ad come. 'You ought to have lea

elt like a

first

sna

a l

ulders

er saw. 'Y

art j

rem

say another word, a tremen

sion sh

ined glass win

the hall, smellin

I hea

yo

e

ro

ti

in the ro

ranger's sm

ised hi

re more luminous n

round him

ew he

rm

vi

eel it on

my hea

red the stranger

e willing

w my

an

ht

ut, never breaking eye

fter when he spo

m. "Whatever h

enough for our eyes to

way he said it ti

a co

e a

ybe n

you.

eyes flashed wit

neath our fee

nse it ripped open every

cally cove

ed up

was n

where he o

t black wolf I