Lyra woke up before the sun rose. Her room was a little bit dark. For a few seconds she just lay down looking at the ceiling. She'd remember last night’s kiss soft, hesitant, unexpected. It felt both wrong right at the same time and the thought alone made her sit up quickly, dragging her hand through her hair.

She told herself it didn’t mean anything. That it was unexpected , too many emotions, too much silence, too much everything. It didn’t mean she had forgiven him or that she wanted ...