Chapter 46

Lyra yelled as she fell through the air before landing onto hard ground. Pain shot from her bottom to her back, causing her to wince. Shortly after she crashed to the ground, commotion rose around her, with the sound of scampering reaching her ears. Forgetting her pain, she quickly reached for her gun and looked around. She was in a chamber of some kind–an underground room. But, despite the commotion, there was no one inside the room. Frowning, she got to her feet and looked upwards. Above her head, there was a wooden trap door covering the hole she had fallen through. Swallowing, she stepped farther into the room. Even though she could see no one, there were many scents in the air, and many different sounds–whispering, breathing–reached her ears. “Who’s there?” she called out, holding her gun ready. There was no answer for a few moments. Slowly, Lyra made her way towards a passage leading away from the chamber. Finally, someone answered. “Who are you?” It was a masculine voice, and se