She was toying with us

Daena groaned as she pushed herself off the cracked stone floor, her entire body screaming in protest. The Dark Sovereign's parting laughter still echoed faintly, a mocking reminder of their utter humiliation.

Nyssara lay a few feet away, flat on her back, staring at the jagged ceiling of the Abyssal Rift. "Well," she said, her voice dripping with dry sarcasm, "that went exactly as planned."

"Oh, shut up," Daena snapped, limping over to her companion. She grabbed Nyssara by the arm and yanked her up, ignoring her own pain. "If I wanted commentary, I'd have brought Ananara."

Nyssara snorted, brushing the dust off her starry cloak. "Don't kid yourself. That pineapple would've mocked us into oblivion before we even got here."

"Good," Daena growled. "Because I don't think I can handle more mocking after that." She gestured vaguely toward the now-empty chamber where they had faced the Sovereign.