I had thought I'd seen the peak of wonder when I first glimpsed Silverholm from the air, but the Great Hall of Gareth's palace left me speechless. The vast chamber stretched before us, its ceiling soaring impossibly high, composed entirely of faceted crystal panels that fractured sunlight into countless rainbow patterns that danced across the polished floor.
"This is..." Words failed me as I turned slowly, taking in the splendor.
"Something else, isn't it?" Gareth smiled, clearly pleased by my reaction. "The crystal formation is natural—we simply built the palace around it."
Kaelen kept a protective arm around my waist, his eyes constantly scanning our surroundings despite Gareth's assurances of safety. I couldn't blame him. After everything we'd been through, letting our guard down felt impossible.
"Your quarters are ready," Gareth said, gesturing toward a sweeping crystal staircase. "I imagine you'd like to rest before meeting with my advisors."
