Cassian did not avoid me after that.
He found me in the garden days later, sitting beneath the old willow tree where lovers once carved promises into bark.
"People don't fear you," he said suddenly. "They fear what happens around you.
My chest tightened.
"You've noticed," I said flatly.
"I'm a scholar," he replied. "Patterns matter."
I wanted to lie.
Instead, I gave him the smallest truth.
"Men I care for… don't survive."
Silence stretched between us.
He didn't laugh. He didn't step away.
"That's not the same as saying you killed them," he said.
I closed my eyes. "It feels the same."
For the first time, he reached for me—and this time, I didn't pull away.
His hand was warm. Steady.
"Then we'll be careful," he said.
I knew then that I was already losing.