LYRA'S POV
The school hallway smelled like old floor wax and nervous energy. I hugged my books to my chest, weaving through students who all seemed to know exactly where they were going. My heart hammered against my ribs. I should have gone straight back to the mansion after my last class. Jeremy's rules were always clear without him having to say them: home, safe, behind locked doors. But the walls of that place were starting to close in on me, and I needed to breathe.
I needed to stop thinking about last night at the club. About the blood. About the look in Jeremy's eyes when he saw what I could do.
So I turned left instead of heading to the exit. The door to Lecture Hall C was propped open. I slipped inside and took a seat near the back just as the bell rang.
The room went quiet whe
