The survivors huddled together, shaking.
Then the ground trembled.
Something huge descended from the sky.
It was not a ship.
It was the Feathered Queen.
She was massive, made of metal and bone. Her wings were alive—thousands of black feathers, each with a watching eye. Her skull-like face glowed with golden light.
"She is the ship," Julian whispered. "She is the Mill."
A cold voice filled Lyra's mind.
You broke my heart.
Lyra fell to her knees, struggling to breathe. The golden energy inside her pushed back.
"You steal lives," Lyra said.
A small price for warmth, the Queen replied.
The Queen reached for Lyra's power, trying to drain it. Lyra screamed, and light burst from her, forcing the creature back.
"Run!" Lyra shouted. "Split up!"
The others fled into the snow.
Lyra ran too, glowing faintly in the frozen world.
She had stopped the machine.
She had saved the children.
But now, winter was awake.
And the Queen was hunting her.