Chapter 88

When Lyra came to, she was lying down on a bed. She opened her eyes to a familiar ceiling. When she turned her head, she realised she was still in Julian's room. Looking out of the window, she saw it was daylight. She also became aware that her arms were tied to the headboard above her head. When she tried to move her lower body, she felt restraints on her ankles too. She was tied to the bed, rendered powerless. She wiggled her body, trying to loosen the restraints, but it was futile. How long had it been? Was Julian okay? What about Beryl and the others? Suddenly, someone appeared in her view. Nile, still wearing Julian’s face, stood over her. “Where is Julian?” she asked him. “Shouldn’t you be worried about yourself instead?” he asked her. “I did what you asked,” she said. “Is he safe?” “We'll talk about that later,” Nile said. “For now, why don't we get to know each other? We've met twice already, but we haven't introduced ourselves properly.” He pressed his palm to his chest. “I am