Cassian POV

Arixen dangled from the chains, his entire weight borne by bloodied wrists. His chest heaved with every shallow breath, and I watched as tears etched clean trails through the filth clinging to his face.

There was agony in his eyes, unmistakable and raw. But neither I nor Iver so much as blinked. Whatever torment twisted through his body was nothing a whisper compared to the storm clawing through me.

Betrayal. Fury. A hollowing ache that shredded through my ribcage like a jagged ...