"Adrien!" The name was a sob, a raw, desperate cry of relief that tore from her throat. She broke away from Merwyn's supportive grip, stumbling through the sand, her feet sinking in the soft, wet ground. She ran, or tried to run, a clumsy, desperate lurch toward the one person in this whole nightmare world who had never, ever treated her like a commodity or a plaything.
He met her halfway, closing the distance in a few long, powerful strides. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace that was so tight, so fierce, it was almost painful. He buried his face in her damp, tangled hair, and she could feel the tremor that ran through his body, a mix of cold, exhaustion, and a profound, soul-deep terror.
"Thank the stars," he breathed, his voice a hoarse, shaky whisper against her ear. "Thank the stars you're safe. I thought... I thought I'd lost you."
