DYLAN
New York air feels different after the hell we left behind in Nigeria. Quieter. Colder. Too still, almost unnerving.
But the city moves like it never noticed our absence. As if the people we've lost and nearly lost don't matter to the world spinning on its axis.
Daniel and I stand quietly in the sterile hospital lobby, waiting for the doctor to return. Seraphine is stable now — weak, recovering — but very much alive. And none of us have stopped reeling from it.
Lia hasn't let go of her hand since we got here. Claire broke down the moment she saw her. Hermione… Hermione cried in my arms and hasn't spoken much since. I think she's still trying to believe it's real.
"D'you want coffee?" Daniel asks, glancing toward the vending machines.
I shake my head. "Not yet."
Then the doors open.
I barely register the man in a long black coat, wearing aviators despite the fact that it's evening. His stride is slow, calculated, a predator in a room full of sheep. And then—
"Cassian?" I blink.
Daniel turns sharply. "What the hell?"
Cassian Thorne stops when he sees us. He slides the glasses off, his expression unreadable.
"Well, this is awkward," he mutters, straightening his sleeves.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel asks, arms folded.
"I'm visiting someone."
I narrow my eyes. "You saved someone in New York. Weeks ago. When we were still here."
Cassian doesn't answer. Just stares.
"You saved Seraphine," I say.
No expression. Not a twitch. Just a slow, subtle nod. "She was unconscious. Burned. Barely breathing. My guy was nearby doing recon on a separate project. I told him to get her out before the house collapsed."
Daniel takes a step closer. "You knew who she was?"
"Didn't at first." Cassian tucks his hands in his coat pockets. "She woke up screaming in the hospital. Said her name. I made a few calls. And then I kept it quiet. Because whoever tried to kill her would come back if they knew she was alive."
I blink. "So you've just been... monitoring her from the shadows?"
Cassian shrugs. "Story of my life."
Daniel lets out a short laugh. "God, you're such a creep."
Cassian smirks. "And yet I keep saving your asses."
I rub the back of my neck. "Hermione's inside. With Seraphine. You should probably come in."
He hesitates for a moment — which is rare for Cassian — then nods.
We walk into the hospital room together. Hermione is sitting at Seraphine's bedside, brushing hair out of her friend's face. Her eyes widen as soon as she sees Cassian.
"You?"
He gives her a small smile. "Hey, golden girl."
Hermione stands up, stunned. "Wait… you saved her?"
Seraphine slowly shifts in bed, blinking toward him. Her voice is hoarse. "I knew I wasn't crazy. I saw you. In the fire. You pulled me out."
Cassian's jaw clenches. "And kept your secret until your people got back."
Hermione crosses the room, tears in her eyes again. "You knew me. From Dylan's party. You didn't say anything."
"I wasn't sure what to say," he admits, voice low. "I didn't know she was your friend. If I had…"
Daniel whistles. "You probably would've gotten a standing ovation."
Claire perks up from her seat. "Wait, are we thanking Cassian now? Should I throw confetti?"
Lia snorts. "Please don't. I'm too tired to clean it."
Cassian's eyes soften, just slightly, as they settle on Seraphine.
"I don't do this for applause," he says. "I do it when it matters."
Hermione walks over and hugs him — to all our surprise. Even his.
"Thank you," she says quietly. "For giving her back to us."
He hesitates before patting her back, awkwardly. "Don't get used to it."
Daniel claps him on the shoulder. "Still. For a guy with zero emotions, you've got decent timing."
Cassian smirks, stepping back. "I'll be around. If she needs anything."
He looks at Seraphine again, lingering just a second too long. Then turns and walks out the door, his coat swaying like a curtain falling.
Daniel whistles. "You think he's catching feelings?"
Dylan shakes his head. "With Cassian? You'll never know until he's bleeding for you."
We all fall quiet.
Seraphine's hand finds Hermione's.
Hermione smiles down at her. "We're not losing anyone else. Not now."
And for the first time in a long, brutal stretch of weeks…
It actually feels like the truth.