Chapter 50. The Real Lyra

Lyra POV

I’m shivering. It’s been several minutes since I shifted back, and Cassian has been holding me tightly the entire time. Mother has already led Aisla away, though they both turned their heads back toward me a couple of times before exiting the forest.

I pull back from Cassian a little, not because I don’t want his comfort, but because I need reassurance that I’m completely back to being human again.

He seems to sense this, loosening his hold on me but not letting go. There’s no one else around, so I open the blanket a little to see my feet, my hands, my arms, all the familiar parts of me that have always made me what I am.

They’re all there, but now, I’m something different.

“You’re completely shifted back,” he assures me. “But it’s normal, not being sure about that the first