Chapter 69

Lyra’s POV

A warm beam of sunlight pierced through the narrow gap in my curtains, gently stroking my face and coaxing me from sleep. My body felt heavy with drowsiness, but my mind was already alert, tingling with half-formed thoughts. I shifted on the mattress, testing the soft cotton sheets beneath me. Somewhere in the back of my half-asleep brain, I heard the faint squeak of the bedroom door—someone had entered—but it all felt hazy, like a dream I couldn’t quite grasp.

I rolled onto my side, turning toward the glow of daylight streaming through the window. The brightness felt like a sudden splash of cold water against my eyelids. I squeezed them shut, willing the light away, but then the sun ducked behind an imaginary cloud, dulling its glare. In that momentary shadow, I sensed a warmth too subtle to be sunlight—someone standing close by.

My thoughts jostled against each other, still half-asleep and unsure whether I was dreaming. A low, familiar voice dri