>>13230168The investigation of both Lyra and Gold as suspects was sickeningly short. After all, they were just a bunch of kids, right?
Gold met Lyra outside the hospital. They hadn't spoken since the authorities had arrived on the scene. She stared at him expectantly...akin to some eerily calm animal waiting for a master's command.
Their eyes met and refused to budge...and for once, Gold seemed to be the calmer of the two. She stood firm...Lyra picked at the thick bandaging wrapped around her delicate palm from where the assailant had forced the knife into her hand and squeezed her dainty fingers around it.
Lyra's stern expression didn't last long. Her defenses melted...eyes flicking to the ground with lips securely shut to suppress any resulting sobs.
"...Well?"
"..."
"...Lyra? Let's go. We've lost a lot of time, right?"
Lyra's eyes lifted...expression one of absolute, heart-rending shock. "...We're...leaving?"
"...Yeah."
And everything was 'normal' again. Lyra was as peppy and clingy as ever.
Gold removed Whitney's number from his phone.
Lyra kept the loop of hair...he pretended not to notice.
Ignorance is bliss.
