Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

"Who did this to you, girl?"Old Dan pulled the leather reins back hard. His mule stopped dead on the dirt path, the wooden wheels of the cart grinding through loose stones before settling into the deep mud ruts. He leaned forward over his knees and stared down the slope through the morning fog, his face screwed up as he watched the shape stumbling down the path.Lyra stopped dead in her tracks. Her boots were caked in heavy black mud, making every step feel like pulling rocks out of a swamp. She reached up with a hand that would not stop shaking and pulled her woolen wrap higher around her throat. But the rough edges of the cloth rubbed right against the swollen, dark marks on her skin, and a sharp sting ran down her shoulder."I fell," she said. Her voice sounded thin, almost like dry paper tearing."Fell where?" Dan climbed down off the high wooden bench. His boots hit the dirt with a heavy thud that shook his whole frame. He walked up to her, his dark eyes looking at her torn skir

"You mean the ruthless Alpha King? Are you out of your mind?"Garrick’s laughter cut through her chest like a rusty blade. He leaned forward on his crate, wiping tears of dark humor from his eyes, his dry lips curling up into an ugly sneer. He shook his head, his chest wheezing as he struggled to catch his breath under the morning sun."The man you speak about died a long time ago," the old hunter rasped, pointing his bone-handled knife directly at her chest. "He was put in the ground before you were even born, girl. Slain in the great war up on the high crags. His throne is ash. His bloodline is dead."Lyra shrank back, her fingers clutching the edge of her wool shawl. The stone steps under her boots felt like they were tilting under her feet. Her knees trembled so hard she had to reach out and steady herself against the cold stone pillar of the town hall."No... Garrick, listen to me," she whispered, her throat dry and raspy. "I saw him. He was breathing. His hand was on my throat..

The iron bolts scraped back hard against the wood.The heavy dungeon door swung wide open, letting in the blinding morning sun. Lyra pulled her dirty arm up over her eyes. Her head was pounding from three days in the dark cell. The sudden rush of warm air made her dizzy right away.Two guards reached down into the doorway. They did not say a word to her. They grabbed her by her upper arms and yanked her straight up off the floorboards.Lyra’s knees gave out instantly. She had no food in her belly, barely a few drops of stale water over three days, and her limbs felt as heavy as wet timber. She stumbled, but the men held her up by her armpits, dragging her forward."Get up," Overseer Eli said, his boots clicking on the top step. "The council is done waiting for you."They pulled her up the steep stone stairwell. Her bare toes dragged across the rough edges of the steps, skin tearing on the sharp rocks, but the guards did not slow down. They hauled her out through the main tower doorway

"Stay down," Lyra whispered to herself, her throat dry as ashes.She pressed her back flat against the cold stone wall, pulling her dirty knees tight to her chest. She held her breath, her heart hammering against her bruised ribs so hard it felt like it would break straight through her skin.Outside the cave entrance, the dead briars rustled against the rock.A low, deep breath blew through the narrow opening in the stone. The heavy, metallic stench of wild fur and fresh blood filled the small shelter, so thick it made Lyra’s stomach turn in a violent wave. Through the gaps in the dried vines, she saw the dark, matted hide of a mountain beast pass by.It stopped right at the entrance. Its long, grey snout sniffed the frozen dirt, its hot breath fogging white in the bitter air.Lyra clamped both hands tight over her mouth. She didn't dare blink. She didn't dare let a single muscle shake. She lay completely frozen in the dark, watching the heavy, jagged shadow of the predator hover righ

"Our king doesn't speak to human trash."The voice came from behind the massive wolf's shoulder, cold and thick as slush.Three men stepped out of the pine shadows onto the dirt track. They didn't look like village hunters. They wore heavy leather coats lined with grey fur, iron buckles fastened across their chests, and long steel blades swinging at their thighs. Their eyes were sharp, yellow as raw corn, staring down at Lyra like she was something rotten dropped on the snow.The giant red-eyed wolf didn't move. It stayed low on its haunches, a quiet growl vibrating in its throat while the border patrol walked up beside it.Lyra took a shaking step back, her bloody bare soles slipping on the frozen gravel. "Please..." Her voice broke, dry as a dead leaf. "I came to see the Alpha King. Just let me pass the border line. Please."The lead guard—a tall man with a broken nose and a dark scar cutting through his cheek—halted three feet away. He looked at her torn dress, her bloody feet, and