Lyra's POV
The cramped office felt suffocating with all of us packed inside. Maybe it was the sheer number of bodies, or more likely, it was the lingering tension from my mother dropping that massive revelation on everyone before casually strolling away like she'd just commented on the weather.
Apparently, I inherited my tendency for theatrical exits from her.
The discomfort radiating from everyone was almost tangible. Alaric looked ready to rip Killian's throat out at any moment. Killian himself was struggling to stay conscious, his eyes fluttering in a desperate attempt to fight off whatever magical knockout punch he'd received. Ash kept darting glances between me and where my mother had been standing, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. Xander wore that insufferably smug expression, though I could tell he was annoyed about having to share me with others.
