The next morning Lyra woke up feeling really sick though not the dangerous kind of sick, just the annoying type that made her stomach twist as soon as she sat up. She pressed her hand to her belly and breathed slowly through her nose, hoping it would settle. The room felt warm and a little stuffy, and even though the window was open, she still felt too hot. She pushed the blanket off her legs and sat there for a while, trying to gather herself.

Her mother knocked once before coming inside. ...