The minute Lyra saw him everything the Moon Goddess said about balance and light and inner strength just… disappeared, all those heroic little speeches she had been repeating in her head for the past hour completely dissolved. She just stood there, staring, thinking one clear thought… I’m going to die a very stupid, completely avoidable death.

“Way to go, Lyra… you finally get your sight back, and the first thing you see is your own terrifying demise.” she whispered to herself.

She ...