Lyra's POV
My voice caught in my throat as Octavia gazed down at me with that familiar smirk playing across her lips.
Multiple students around us, including Poppy, had offered respectful bows in Octavia's direction. All I could manage was to stare up at her while she tilted her head in obvious amusement, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow arching upward. She made a disapproving sound with her tongue before finally speaking.
"Really now, Lyra," she said with mock disappointment in her voice. "Surely you remember the proper way to show respect to royalty. Or have you forgotten already?"
My pulse began racing wildly against my ribcage.
Could she actually be planning to reveal everything to these people?
Was my carefully guarded secret about to be exposed right here in front of everyone? Poppy gave me a sharp nudge between my shoulder blades, jolting me back to the present moment.
