eyes are a

pright against the tree. No fear. No fight. Jus

sent

wly. "She's a

my teet

wo faces. One for yo

a child's voice. Something o

Hollow?

at comes

ark hard enough to shake

marked my m

d her first. You just

me, face tight. "He

t a wolf

sess

s lik

t he'll become. That when the bond is complet

low. "

esn't even flinch. Just watches the

, "She opened th

t do

smi

down on

. Black. Not human blood. Jarek s

ar through muscle as I rip the boy's

crack. No breath. No heart

cks up.

s without breath. "I

crumbles

o

That's not shadow wor

kno

off my hands. I

"You're not tell

not sure I be

y m

hed. "There's a bond deeper than mateho

bidd

gott

omeone's trying

no

r a moment. "

she's t

wh

his breath. "We need to get ba

ey

're

t her

s eyes. "Lyra do

she fears

to the castle

rd is empty

grab clothes from the ca

ough the halls. Every torch f

the stairwell,

ot. But

I sme

her hall are gone. Just v

not

Mira

he f

edi

collar an

e is

are glassy.

ho

The thing

. "How did

ever

ha

nt to lure you out. He wa

ra nods weakly. "Lyra thought she was p

he

the crypt. The old on

Mira an

right be

. Abandoned. Sealed for decades. Onl

is down t

thing is

the stone doors. Covered in moss and runes. T

pers, "You

ea

ed. Like it's pu

she's n

the do

ot emptiness. Just d

vast chamber. Candles flicker again

center, L

ght. Hands

of her is

l sm

late,"

tween him

oesn'

a,"

es mee

I fr

not he

're

're smil