Lyra
The sun was already up when I woke, the room quiet and too comfortable for someone like me. The bed was soft, the sheets clean, and the smell of pine drifted in from the open window. It was different from the cold floors and rough blankets I used to sleep on. I sat up slowly. I still wasn’t used to this place or the idea that people would bow to me if I stepped outside.
But there was no threat here. No one was throwing things at me or calling me useless. My heart was calm even though my thoughts were not. I didn’t want to admit I felt safe in Ironclaw, because safety was something I was never given without a cost.
I pushed the blankets off and stood. I wore one of the plain clothes the maids had brought. I walked to the door and opened it. The hallway was quiet and long, and I wasn
