Anti-Lyra's touch burned like frozen fire. I pulled back instinctively, but there was nowhere to retreat in the dimensional chaos surrounding us.

"What is wrong?" my dark reflection asked with false concern. "Do you not want to embrace yourself? Accept all the parts you have been denying?"

"I have not denied anything," I shot back, though doubt crept into my voice.

"Have you not?" Anti-Lyra circled us slowly, her form a twisted mirror of mine. "Every time you chose mercy, I would have chosen ...