"Thank you," Saarya uttered, barely managing.
"I should be the one to say that," I said, and pulled her into my embrace. She tried to struggle, but Saarya hardly left with any power to move.
Even though she looked so strong on the outside, she felt just as soft and tender as I held her for the first time.
"Can't you just stay here for a little longer?" I asked, hope kindling in my voice.
But Saarya didn't even hear me, she was mumbling on her own.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I wish I could do better, but they left me broken. . . Betrayed me. . .left me in the confines and watched me rot. . . I'm sorry for what. . ."
Saarya fell unconscious in my embrace, leaving me to wonder how much effort she had to pull to break the restriction on my collar when she had another latched onto her neck.