Cassian's POV
"Her scent goes this way!" I crashed through the trees, my dragon vision cutting through darkness.
Kieran ran beside me, his mixed speed matching mine. "If you hurt her—"
"Shut up and run!" I snarled. We didn't have time for his territorial threats. Lyanna was out here alone, broken, and my daughter was still missing.
The guilt was eating me alive. Three thousand years of hurting the same person. How did I live with that?
My dragon roared inside me. It didn't care about past lives. It only knew that its mate was hurting and we needed to fix it.
"There!" Kieran pointed.
Through the trees, I saw light. Not normal moonlight—something odd. Pulsing and cold.
We burst into an area and froze.
Ember stood in the middle, her small body surrounded by floating lights. Not fireflies. These moved with purpose, circling her like tiny guards. Her eyes glowed pure white.
