Zephyra’s POV

The next evening, I returned home after my jog, my feet stuttering to a halt as I pulled out my earphones, my mind racing with questions about the unfamiliar car in the driveway. What the hell? My first thought was that Lirael was back, having driven himself this time, but I knew that wasn’t it. The shiny red car was brand new, untouched by the usual signs of a journey. It felt almost surreal, like some prop dropped into a scene where it didn’t belong.

I walked up the path, ...