Lyra's POV
The feeling of waking up with the sharp end of a spear pointed at you is not the best. My eyelids fluttered open, and the world snapped into focus with jarring clarity. Two figures loomed over me, their faces hidden behind skull masks that seemed to leer in the flickering firelight.
To my left, a woman's hand grasped Elista's arm, holding her in a vice-like grip. Her fingers were long and bony, nails tipped with sharp points that dug into Elista's skin like talons.
My gaze jerked to the right, where a figure stood poised, an arrow nocked in a taut bowstring. The arrow's tip glinted with deadly sharpness, its point aimed directly at my heart. The figure's hand was steady, fingers relaxed yet firm, as if waiting for the slightest excuse to release the tension and send the ar
