Mira’s POV

Cyrus left before sunrise without telling anyone where he was going. I followed his presence until it disappeared from the compound. He was hunting someone. He returned late. Blood on his knuckles. Dirt on his boots. His jaw is tight. His silence is louder than everything else. Lyra intercepted him first. “You left without a word.”

“I had to,” he said. “Where?” He didn’t answer. She stepped in front of him. “Don’t lie,”she snapped. “I found one of the ...