Before Sashkia could stretch her hand for a greeting, Cassian walked past everyone. His dark eyes were locked on only one person, and he didn't stop until he stood directly in front of Cixi.
He assessed her. His gaze swept from the top of her head to her chin, cataloguing every scrape, every bruise, and every mark that had not been on her skin when she left the Palace that morning. His jaw tightened with each one.
He lifted his hand and placed it on top of Cixi's scalp.
She winced sharply, and an involuntary hiss escaped through her teeth. The bruise hidden under her hair sent a bolt of pain down through her skull and into her neck.
Cassian's fingers stilled and his dark eyes hardened in response. "I will let two breathe." He had already decided that among those three, one would die in his hands.
Cixi understood the meaning of his words right away, without a moment's delay.
