As soon as Damon's footsteps faded down the hallway, Kassian didn't move from the door. Instead, he reached back and pulled the wardrobe doors open with a sharp, triumphant snap.
Vera and Sera were huddled together among the capes, looking like two deer caught in a crossbow's sights.
Kassian looked down at them, his head tilted to the side, a smug, devastating smirk on his lips. "Well, well. A thief, a Lady, and a wardrobe. Is this the 'logistics' meeting I was told about?"
"Kassian, you... You set this up!" Vera hissed, scrambling out of the wardrobe and trying to look dignified while covered in lint and the scent of cedar.
"I merely accelerated the 'heist'," Kassian whispered. He reached out and caught Vera by the waist, hoisting her up into his arms in one smooth, practiced motion.
"VERA!" Sera gasped, still huddled in the back of the wardrobe, her eyes wide with abandonment. "You can't leave me!"
