Chapter 48

LYRA

The smell of incense and a pair of warm hands against my cheeks pull me from my sleep. My eyes flutter open and the warm glow of a fireplace comes into view. My hands and legs are no longer bound, and my clothes are surprisingly clean for being held captive in a cave. I glance around the room and am met with deep burgundies and golds, and Victorian furniture. A tiny woman works tirelessly at the fire, before she turns to look at me. Her piercing blue eyes seem to see into my mind and my soul.

“You are finally awake,” she says as she sets a cup of tea on a small table in the center of the room. “Come sit,” she pats the table as she speaks.

I rise hesitantly, slowly taking in my surroundings once more. If this is a vision it is different from the rest. Everything is so crisp and clear as if I am actually with the woman in her study. I sit across from the woman and notice that she is studying me carefully. “If you have a question, you need only to ask,” she