**Cassian**
The stone walls of what had once been his bedroom now felt more like a prison cell. Cassian sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the silver bars that had been installed across his windows, the heavy lock on his door that could only be opened from the outside. His father had been thorough—even the ancient wards that protected the Ravencrest estate had been modified to keep him contained.
Forty-eight hours. It had been forty-eight hours since he’d defied his father’s orders, since he’d destroyed the sedative and chosen Ravyn’s freedom over vampire tradition. And in those forty-eight hours, his world had collapsed entirely.
The sound of the lock turning made him look up. Marcus entered, his expression carefully neutral, but Cassian caught the quick glance around the room that
