Selene's POV

The words hung in the air like a curse.

You are Lyra's daughter.

I stared at Rowan, my mind reeling. I could not process what he had just told me. It did not make sense. It could not be true.

"I was born in the slums," I said. "I was an orphan. I had no family."

Rowan's mismatched eyes were filled with sorrow. "You had a family. You had a mother. And she loved you more than anything."

I shook my head. "Then why did she abandon me?"

"She did not abandon you," Rowan said. "She hid you. She hid you to keep you safe from the Night...