Without wasting another breath, Cassian stormed toward the slab. He scooped Hermi up in a motion so swift she barely had the chance to gasp, let alone offer a protest.
Before long, she found herself trapped against the rough linen of his chest. With her feet hanging helplessly in the air, Hermi struggled to anchor her fevered mind, as the world tilted precariously.
She had hoped Cassian would not return so early, and certainly not find her in such a compromised state. She twisted slightly in his grip, her lips parting to insist she was perfectly capable of walking. But the moment she met the garnet intensity of his gaze, her mouth snapped shut on instinct.
This was not the same man who had carried her through the drafty corridors of the Black Fortress with a mocking smirk. He wasn't even looking at her now. His gaze was fixed keenly on the path ahead as he marched out of the infirmary.
