I crouch down next to him with wobbly legs. "Jere, please! It's me, your Lyra."

Fire flickers behind his cold eyes. "No! Not 'my' Lyra, Brexton's Lyra. Where was 'my' Lyra when I was being sentenced to death?! Oh that's right, she was testifying against me!"

His voice shakes, destroying me further. "You would've let me die, but not your precious Brexton, huh?"

My hand reaches for his, but he quickly pulls away. "I'm so sorry." Tears flood down my cheeks in waves. This time I let him see them. He needs to see my regret. "I didn't know. None of this would've happened if I knew."

He glares at me. "It's a little too late for that now."

My heart clenches at the thought of what he's about to do. "Right now I can still help you, but if you kill someone, there's nothing I can do."

Jeremiah looks completely unhinged. It freaks me out. "WHY NOT?! YOU HELPED BREXTON AFTER HE KILLED PEOPLE!!!"

I inhale deeply. "He was forced, you have a choice."

His fingers tighten around the trigger. "I don't care. Don't you get it? I'm the bad guy now and unlike him, I don't hesitate."

He pulls the trigger and my heart out of my chest.

"No!" I cry out and fall to my knees.

Put this in the history books as the day Lyra Blackwood lost any good left in her. My villain origin story if you will.