[ Cassian knows lashing out when he sees it. He understands why, or at least he thinks he does (it's hard to parse out what's real from what may have just simply manifested during their time here). And while he's good at pretending that things that aren't worth his time don't matter, it's impossible for him to forget when something obvious is right in front of him. In this case, it's the source of Annabeth's fear.

He'd long suspected that she was terrified of abandonment. They had never spoken about it at length, neither of them the sort to address that sort of thing. Maybe if there had been more time, maybe if he hadn't disappeared so frequently, he would have found a way to bring it up.

But there was no time for that now. ]

Our lives before we came here, Annabeth.

[ His mind grasps for something, anything to remind her of her world and where she came from but he predictably comes up short. Because of course he would. They aren't siblings. This bond they share is nothing more than a dream. ]

Whatever life you had with Percy. Being Summoned to Abraxas and being kept like caged prizes to be gawked at. Not having people adore and pray to us like some sick, false idols. That was real.