She ripped the book open. Chapter Nine was a single sentence: The toll is never what they take. It’s what you leave behind.
Inside, wrapped in black velvet, was a book bound in something that looked distressingly like cured leather. The title was embossed in silver that seemed to sweat:
Lyra’s heart hammered, but her dream-fingers flipped open the Guide . Chapter Four: Vocal Wards & Exit Strategies . incubus realms guide
She woke up. In her bed. The towel still over the mirror. The window still closed.
She looked down. Her arms were wrapped around the Guide , pressing it against her sternum. The incubus was right—it looked like an embrace. The book’s silver title began to glow. She ripped the book open
And Lyra, lonely and tired and curious, felt the word forming on her dream-lips. Yes.
She opened the book.
Lyra shivered. Her apartment was warm, but the base of her spine felt cold. She should close the book. She should throw it in the trash chute. Instead, she turned to Chapter One: Threshold Etiquette: How Not to Invite Them In.