~ LYORA

My heart was pounding heavily as I realized that it was Cassian in the shadows.

The way he looked at me made panic rise within me. It was almost as if he had realized my little trick…

I felt my fingers trembling as I unconsciously held on to my necklace, silently willing him to go away.

But he didn’t. He kept closing the distance between us with slow, calculated steps… all the while never taking his eyes off me.

“Mama Nyra… what exactly are you hiding?” he asked in a quiet, ...