A Bargain

Lyra panted as she lay on the sand with Pan and Viktor. They were both wet and soaking. Thank goodness they had Pan to thank for taking them to shore. She sat up, staring around at the great blue ocean. "I don't know where we are guys. But we sure aren't in Citagatzze,"

"That window must have taken us to another world or another part of my world," Viktor said. He sat up and Lyra watched him look along the shoreline. It seemed to curve left into the distance.

"Our best chance is to walk along this beach and hope we can find Citagatzze," She spoke up.

"How do you know this is my world?"

"I don't," she admitted. "But I have hope,"

"We need to think this through,"

"Think what through?" she questioned bluntly.

"We don't know where we are,"

"You got a better idea?" challenged

"No," Viktor said back.

"You know. None of this would have happened if you hadn't left me in the first place,"

"I had to get him Lyra. He took away the only friend I ever had. How would you like it if someone killed someone you cared about?"

"Doesn't mean you just abandon someone who's just trying to help you," Lyra was getting angry; she would explode any second.

"I came back. Didn't I?"

"Yeah. But Boreal has my Alethiometer. Thanks to you we'll never be able to help Will find his father and I'm never going to be able to get Mia back home,"

"You think I intended for this to happen?!" he snapped back.

"Ever since I met you, you've been nothing but selfish and impulsive!"

"What?" Viktor roared. "Did you just say that?!"

"Yes, I did!" Lyra mocked. Before she could shout more at him, Pan turned into a wolverine and snared.

"Enough!" he growled. "Do you two even hear yourselves right now? You both have been doing nothing today but ignoring each other. And look where's it got us. If we're going to get back to Will and Mia we have to stick together,"

Lyra looked at Viktor. She saw that Pan was right. In their argument, she had forgotten how she had realised back at Boreal's house that Viktor had changed when he came to see him. She sighed. She stood up on the sand and held out her hand. "Are you coming?"

Viktor glanced his dark eyes up at her. Lyra kept her hand open. He clasped it and she pulled him up. "Let's go,"

They turned and they began to walk along the shoreline.

"Thank you," Lyra said gratefully.

Will and Mia sat silently in the back of the murderer's car. Mia prayed that this wasn't a big mistake. She shared a nervous glance with Will next to her. She didn't want to feel. Sorry? Angry? She hadn't been the most polite person today yet he had entered his world to save her. She wanted to speak but he turned his head away. She closed her eyes in guilt. The car pulled into the driveway of a large house. Must be that man's house. Mia dreaded nervously. He exited the car and opened the car on her side. "Here we are," he said.

Mia was nervous to get out.

"You want to see Lizzie don't you?"

Ignoring the pounding of her anxiety under her skin, Mia stepped out. Will came out too. The man led them to his door. "They should be waiting inside. After you,"

Mia gulped. She went inside, feeling Will behind her whilst Aster hid in her hood around her neck like a furry scarf. She watched the man close the door and lock it. He came in front of them. His powerful body made Mia quiver a bit. Without Lyra, Mia felt so scared. "Follow me," he led them to a set of stairs and they followed him down into a giant posh room of rich blue. There were large sofas, rich art attached to the wall and artefacts and carvings inside large cases of glass. He was quite a wealthy collector.

"Sit down," the man compelled them to sit down. Will sat down next to Mia. Latrum sat down in front of us.

"Where are our friends?" Will asked.

Latrum stared at them. It was a dark grim. "I'm afraid they're not here,"

Mia fumed and stamped up. "Where are they?"

"Lyra is in a locked place. As for your other friend, that sneaky Viktor is probably being held in a child's prison for attempted murder,"

"You let them go!" she shouted. Suddenly her heart jumped as she recapped his words in her head. "How did you..."

"Lyra Belaqua isn't as smart as she thinks she is," Latrum cackled wickedly. "like her mother,"

Mia was breathless. "How do you..."

Just as he spoke, a snake poked out of his sleeve. She gasped and fell backwards into Will's arms and hyperventilated.

"You have a daemon?" Will asked.

"Yes. I do. Will Parry,"

Will's fingers dug into the shoulders of the girl to whom he was holding on tightly.

"The police are looking everywhere for you. Murderer,"

"He's not a murderer!" defended Mia.

"I suggest you both sit down or I will call the police and your friends will be severely punished more than they already are,"

They sat down.

"I'm going to offer you a proposition," he said. "Get me the object that I want. And I will return your friends to you,"

"What is it that you want?" Will demanded.

"I know you two came from a crossroads world. There is a man hiding in a tower in the middle of the city who holds that object. The two with the carved angels around it,"

"Tora de li Angeli," Will breathed. He shared a nervous look with Mia.

"What's the item you want?" she questioned.

"A knife,"

Mia's response was a scoff. "What could you possibly want with a knife?"

"That is my business," he said.

"We want to know what it is," she demanded.

"I suggest you ease your tone. You both and your friends are wanted. From now on, you're under my leverage,"

At his cruel words, Mia felt tears behind her eyes. Will's hand touched her shoulders in comfort.

"Now...I will give you both a lift back to the door. Come back to me without the knife. And I will deliver you two to the police. And Lyra...can be sent back to her mother,"

"No..." Mia breathed. She dreaded to think of how that horrible woman would treat Lyra the moment she was delivered to her.

"We'll do it," Will said, standing up.

Mia stood up with him. "We'll get your knife," she seethed.

He delivered them by car to the window and they exited immediately. He gave them one final warning before he drove off into the dark. Mia's tears spilt out and she began to cry. They were helpless now, forced to get a knife now under the leverage of such a cruel man who had brought misery into Viktor's life.

Will's hands touched her shoulders. Instantly she turned and she dug her head into his chest. He hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry Will," she sobs. "I'm sorry I called you a coward,"

"I'm sorry too," he said despondently.

"I never should have let Lyra and Viktor come here,"

"Nothing could have prevented this," his words of comfort did little success.

"I hate to think of them all helpless and alone. We've got to get them out,"

"We're going to. We're going to get them out. I promise. We just have to get that knife and deliver it to him. Do you know who he is?"

"I've never seen him before," Mia sniffled as she pulled back, looking at Will in the eyes.

"We head to that tower first thing tomorrow," he said. "Come on. Let's get some sleep," he offered a hand.

Mia pressed her lips together. Although her face was wet with tears, determination coloured her features. She was going to do whatever it takes. Mia took Will's hand and together they walked through the window. Tomorrow they would begin their quest.

Another chapter is done. What do you think? I hope you all enjoyed it. Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. Apologies if this felt short to you all. See you all later.