Chapter 18

Two mornings later, I sat with my head pounding as an incessantly shrill ring bounced off the walls of my office. It had been going on for a while and I wondered where on earth Lyra was.

I groaned and was just about to pick it up from her desk myself when she came running and picked it up.

Finally, I sighed internally and rolled my eyes.

“Hello?” her voice echoed softly outside, “Yes? Yes, of course. She’s in today, I can ask if she has time for an audience. Of course. Just a moment.”

Sitting up straighter, I started to fix my papers and set them away. I’d have to get some coffee with Marcus when I was done with this. Some water would do until then, and so I poured myself out a glass to sip on.

“Lilith…” she sounded tentative by the door, and it made me anxious.

“Yes?”

“Um…” she pulled her lips in tightly, “I’m not sure how to word it right in light of your…health, but…Mr. Boulevard–”

I dropped my glass at the sound of his name, and it shattered against the ground. Shards of glass ric