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 blade.
"Start talking," I said, my voice cold, stripped of mercy. "End this. Now. Or I swear, I’ll end you myself."
Arixen's lips quivered. His voice, when it came, was barely a breath “Please…” a pitiful whisper that only deepened my resolve.
I didn’t look at him again. Instead, I turned to Maelor
