She’s locked us in. Breathing hard, she takes a step back.
I grab for the bars. They feel solid beneath my hands, warm. “What have you done?”
Lyra turns. “I’m buying time for you to see that I’m right. This makes sense, Kaelen.”
Wastedtime. “Take it down,now.”
I wrap my erevas around a thick bar and yank. But it’s as if she’s buried it ten feet below the damn floor, because it doesn’t move. I can get it down, but it’s going to take time we don’t have.
“Lyra.” Eres wraps his hands around the bars. “Let us out. Please.”
She doesn’t. She crosses to Eres’s satchel and rummages inside it, pulling out two quills. “I’m going to bring him back. This makes sense. You know it does.”
My finger shakes when I raise it. “Don’t you fuckingdare.”
She does. She shoots me with a fucking quill, after locking me in a cage in my own bedroom. It buries itself in my neck, and I feel the loss of my shadow almost instantly, even before I tear it from my skin. “Lyra,” I snap at her through the bars. “This isnotthe way to build trust.”
“I’m sorry.” She stiffens, but her head shakes in silent refusal, and my heart turns over inside my chest. “I can’t let you follow me.”
Eres strikes the cage with his blade. The impact rings like a bell, the light barely rippling. “Lyra,” he pleads. “This is madness.
“So is all of you dying, when I can try just as easily as you and get through faster.” She reaches for my cloak, her eyes dropping from my face.
My heart slams against my ribs. “You said no more secrets,” I say hoarsely. “No more lies. And now you’re locking me away?”
I’m confident I can break it. But I don’t want to hurt her in the process, which means I need to let her walk out of this room.
She looks back at us before she flips the hood of my cloak over her face and pulls the door closed. I slam my fist into the cage again, fury and fear ripping through me in equal measure. My voice bellows. "Witch!"
But she’s already running for the Veilspire.
And no matter how hard we try, we can’t get out of this damnedcage.
Lyra
Imove swiftly, though I try not to run. I don’t want to attract attention. The few faces I see watch me warily as they pass by. But none challenge me, and I slip through the double doors without incident.
Elspeth and Valcor are both seated beside a sleeping Sera, and the door clicks behind me before I can stop it.
They both look up.
I don’t have time. I don’t, but I can’t look away without causing suspicion. I cross the room to them, my hands curling around the post. “How is she?”
“Healed.” Elspeth looks tired, but her smile is real. “Thanks to you.”
Valcor sniffs, and Elspeth looks at him, her eyes cool. “I'm grateful to you, Lyra. She would like to see you, but she was very tired.”
Nodding, I run my eyes over her face. “I understand. I’ll leave you be.”
I back away and turn, my eyes already searching the room. At the very end, the bed on the right has a curtain pulled across. A silhouette is visible inside, illuminated by the glow of a lantern.
“Ahem.” When I turn, Valcor is standing there. We both stare at each other, and he clears his throat again. “Are you recovered?”
“From today?” Anger prickles my skin. “Or from last night?”
“I deserved that.” He looks away from me. “But I am… very grateful for what you did today.”
“It wasn’t for you.” I fold my arms. “I didn’t do it for any recognition from yourcouncil.”
