Golden Raven [ACOTAR]

Chapter One

Gasping for breath, Lyra jumps awake. Sweat stinging her eyes and her clothes sticking to her, she grasps her bed sheets desperate to stay grounded whilst she steadies her breaths. As her shallow breaths continue, her eyes remain closed as the cool breeze from her window strokes her face reminding her she's safe; she's not trapped it was only a dream. She opens her eyes and is transfixed on her starlit bedroom, colours danced around bouncing off the walls from the weekly aurora, above the tall pine trees in the distance.

Grateful for the distraction, she slides out of bed, slightly trembling, into her bathroom. A chill surges up her spine as her feet hit the cool tiled floor, cooling her clammy body. Immediately she reaches for the sink, the impact of the cold water on her burning face soothes her. She stays leaning on the sink for a short while, the chilled marble causing a slight ache on her forehead; she liked the pain. It reminded her she was alive.

Pushing herself up she caught her reflection in the mirror in front of her. Her obsidian curls slick against her forehead, falling onto her hunched shoulders down her back; her tan face lost its colour, highlighting her contoured cheekbones; her dark circles deepening her sullen eyes, causing her striking grey eyes to stand out even more than they already do. Resentfully, she leaned forward narrowing her eyes, looking at herself she breathed onto the mirror fogging her view.

'Much better', she thought, and slid back into bed dreaming of nothing into the morning.