I froze on the garden balcony, Raven's words hitting me like a slap. "Let’s not pretend I don’t know a lie when I smell it."

Her smirk was cold, as she stared at me with an intensity that made me feel naked, her eyes raking over me like she could see through my disguise.

My heart pounded, my hands shaking as I clutched the book Lyra and I had stolen from the basement. She’d caught me, at a very bad time and I didn't know how I would get out of this situation when I was barely holding ...