Lyra's POV
After my recent breakdown, it was decided I needed to complete my bond with Alaric immediately. His theory was that simply accepting the bond had triggered something in my body, and when it realized the connection remained incomplete, it sent me into that terrifying spiral. The embarrassment burned through me, but underneath that was pure terror.
If that episode was just the beginning, what would complete madness look like?
So here I was, trudging across the snow-covered campus in my best dress and warmest boots, marching toward the Headmaster's house to sleep with him.
What had my life become?
The life of royalty, obviously, Nyx purred in my mind.
She had been insufferably smug all day. Something about being proven right, though I tried to block out her endless stream of "I told you so" remarks.