Amara's POV

My blood ran cold as I watched Cassian approach. He’d never been a man of gentle gestures, and the last time he’d touched me, it was with a cold finality that had left a scar on my soul. I braced myself, expecting a scolding, a reprimand for my recklessness, or for him to simply snatch Eli away.

But instead, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a hug so tight it felt as though he was trying to meld us back into one person.

I was enveloped in the scent of ...