POV: Lila
The hush after the cave tremor is heavy. Dust still floats in the air like ash after a fire. I keep my back against the chilly wall, chest heaving, claws clenched, heart racing. Cassian is standing a few steps away, watching me…but he doesn’t move to fight. Not this time.
“You think vengeance will fill you?” he asks calmly, his voice steady but not cold.
I turn my head gently toward him. My eyes narrow. “What else is left for me to feel?”
He takes a little step forward. “Vengeance won’t bring her back. It won’t make the agony go away. It’ll only keep it alive.”
“You don’t get to talk about pain,” I growl. “You didn’t lose everything.”
Cassian shakes his head. “You’re not the only one who lost something. I lost you, Lila.”
I leap forward before I even think. My hand
