Inside the veil
Cassian woke as if surfacing from deep water. No gasp, no jolt—just open eyes and the sense of a hand laid on the back of his neck.
Not a yank. Not a spike. A reminder.
He sat up slowly and pressed his palm to his chest where the bond lived. It was there—quiet and heavy at the same time. He knew the ugly, greedy tug that came with command. This wasn’t that. This was persistence. I’m still here.
“Cass?” Ravyn’s voice carried from the other side of the small room—sleep-rough and instantly awake. She turned, hair sliding over her shoulder, the three-point star at her collarbone catching the thin light. “What is it?”
“He’s not pulling,” Cassian said carefully, so he didn’t turn it into fear. “He’s pressing. He wants me to notice the hand before he uses it.”
Grayson was al
