LYRA
I felt my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird, and I turned to Kael with wide, panicked eyes. The knocking came again, louder this time, heavy thuds that made the wood of the door groan.
"You have to leave, now!" I hissed.
Kael didn’t move at first, his gaze fixed on the door with a low growl vibrating in his chest, but I pushed against his shoulders with everything I had. He looked back at me, his eyes dark and intense, then he turned and vaulted over the windowsill in one smooth motion. He vanished into the darkness of the night just as the knocking turned into a frantic pounding.
I scrambled to the bed, smoothing out the sheets with trembling hands, and I sucked in a deep breath to settle the shaking in my lungs. I walked to the door and pulled it open, bracing
