At the rasp in Iris’s voice, Jacob picked up a glass of water he’d left on the nightstand and offered it to her once she’d calmed down enough that she wouldn’t knock it out of his hand. All the while, he eyed the shirt she was wearing—intentionally white—for any blood spots, making sure she hadn’t reopened her wound in the midst of her thrashing. Fortunately, he didn’t see anything concerning, so he settled on the edge of the mattress and lifted his gaze to meet hers when she asked about Caspian. “He is safe, but he isn’t here. You’re in my condo,” he answered succinctly, rolling his shoulders in a mindless stretch. He hadn’t realized how long he’d been sitting on the living room sofa, and he’d gotten a little stiff. He was also hesitant to tell Iris much more than he just had, since he didn’t want to argue with her if she insisted on being moved to see the king in the palace. Right now, all he cared about was seeing that she recovered properly and then returning her to the districts where she belonged. Caspian couldn’t know she had ever been here. He was less secretive about the fate of her abductor though, so when she asked about Ethan next, he nodded in confirmation. “Yes, dead. I watched him take a bullet between the eyes when my strike team found his hiding place.” Technically, he was the one who had fired the shot, but he wasn’t looking to take credit, so he left that part of the explanation ambiguous. “You won’t have to worry about him ever again. He’s gone for good.” As he spoke, his eyes wandered to the room they were in. White paint, old motel-like artwork on the walls and a ceiling fan spinning lazy circles above their heads. He probably should have been more invested in a conversation about a man’s gruesome death, but his years in service to his country had made him numb to the harsher side of war. Instead, he had noticed how vacant his old bedroom felt. As he turned back to Iris, he caught the grimace on her face and furrowed his brows. “You should lie back down. It’s only been a day since I moved you here, and you’ve barely started to heal. Some rest will do you good.” He got up from the edge of the bed again, readying himself to leave if she took him up on the suggestion. “Is there anything else you need from me?”