Chapter Forty Eight: Nothing Special

“Leave it alone, Lyra,” he said harshly.

Lyra knew she should just be quiet and drink her mint tea but she

couldn’t stop herself from replying in a heated tone, “Maybe if you just

talked to him, explained how he’d hurt you—”

“He’d what, apologize?” Viktorground out. “Give me back my half of his large cartek wrapped in a nice gold bow?” His lips twisted. “There

must be limits even to your optimism.”

She looked up quickly, her cheeks hot. “You keep telling me to be honest,

to be brave and bold, but what have you done lately that was any of those

things?”

He looked at her.

“If I weren’t bound by my vow,” he said, “I’d do the bravest, boldest,

most honest thing I can think of. And that’s kiss you.”

She sucked in her breath.

Exhaling, Viktor looked up, tilting his head back against his chair.

“Look at the stars. They go on forever.”

Lyra stared at him, her lips tingling, her heart twisting in her chest. Then

she slowly followed his gaze. He was right about the stars. They had never

looked