Saeldir jolted awake with a sharp breath, his lungs dragging in air as if he had been drowning.
His vision swam at first in blurs of color, shifting shapes, and fading echoes of wings made of light and tentacles that crawled across worlds.
He blinked hard until the haze finally settled.
He lay on a long cushioned bench in the king's throne room, a soft glow from lamps spilling across the walls. The room was silent until he realized he wasn't alone.
Aurdis sat closest to him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, worry flickering in her eyes.
King Gulben sat beside her with his arms folded, wearing a heavy expression that mixed concern and calculation.
Aerchon stood near the foot of the reclining chair, tense and restless, as if ready to draw his weapon against an unseen threat.
And Erend, Eccar, and a white haired woman Saeldir did not know stood further back in the chamber, their presence solid and unwavering. He didn't know where they arrived.
