Rowan's POV
Lyra didn't bother announcing herself this time either, though at least she'd stopped stealing food directly off my desk, settling instead for perching on the windowsill of my study like she'd been invited, arms crossed, watching me work through reports with an expression that told me she hadn't come here for idle conversation.
"You've been avoiding me," she said.
"I've been busy."
"You've been avoiding me because you know exactly what I'm going to ask, and you'd rather bury yourself in paperwork than answer it."
I didn't look up from the report in front of me, mostly because I suspected she was entirely correct, and admitting as much felt like handing her a victory before the conversation had even properly started.
"Say what you came to say, Lyra."
She was quiet for a m
