"I need you to warm my bed."
The words hung in the cold, damp air of the dungeon like a lifeline.
Ren let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her heart soared. She scrambled off the wooden bench, clutching the bars, ready to jump into his arms the second the gate opened.
'Oh thank god,' she thought, her knees shaking with relief. 'He forgave me. Or at least, he's too cold to stay mad. I'm going back to the Nest!'
"Syris," she breathed, a smile tugging at her frozen lips. "I knew you wouldn't leave me—"
Syris moved.
He didn't step toward Ren's cell. He took one smooth, deliberate step to the left.
He inserted the heavy iron key into the lock of the adjacent cell.
Click.
Ren froze, her hands still gripping the rusted bars. Her smile died a slow, confused death.
The gate next to her creaked open.
