CASSANDRA’S POV
I woke with a gasp, my heart pounding as if I’d just escaped a nightmare. Without thinking, I shot up, my body tense and my breath shallow. The familiar scent of lavender and aged wood hit me like a wave, but it felt distant—unnatural.
I was in my old room. My chamber in the kingdom.
The realization hit me like a cold, biting wind, and I froze. I hadn’t slept here in years. Why was I here now? This was the last place I ever wanted to be.
And then I saw him.
Cyprus sat at the edge of the bed, his head lowered, his shoulders hunched. His hands were tightly clasped, pale from the pressure. He didn’t look at me.
I swallowed hard, the unease growing. Something was wrong.
“Cyprus?” My voice cracked, barely a whisper.
He flinched but didn’t answer. His sadness was suffocat
