Syris paused. He had been gently rubbing the freezing saltwater from her arms, trying to warm her shivering human skin.
He tilted his head, his vertical green pupils narrowing in genuine confusion. He shifted closer, pulling her flush against his side to share his body heat.
"Why would you apologize, my Queen?" Syris asked smoothly, his tone entirely devoid of anger. "You retrieved the abyssal ink from Nerissa. You secured the cure. You did exactly what you set out to do."
Roxy shook her head, burying her face in her hands. A fresh wave of hot, miserable tears spilled over her palms, dripping onto the jagged black rocks.
"Had I known," Roxy choked out, her shoulders trembling violently. "Had I known that you guys came looking for me, and were chased down by Caspian... Syris, they almost boiled alive because of him. If I had known he did that, I would never have trusted him. I would never have let my guard down, and I never would have fallen in love with him."
