Lyra's POV
I stormed into my room, slamming the door behind me, anger bubbling in my chest. How could the governess assign me such a cruel task? It felt as though they had conspired to keep me from attending the feast. What could be happening there that I was meant to miss?
Or was it simply my wretched luck that had placed me in this mess? My hands shook with frustration as I tore off my jewelry. How could she do this? How could fate be so unkind, trapping me among these people of the flower? I didn’t even want to imagine the punishment waiting if I failed to bring what was required before the feast began. And where was Dimitri? Why did he always vanish when I needed him most—his advice, his presence?
I paced the room, thoughts swirling like a storm. The rare flower, the twisting garde
