Veronica lay sprawled across the enormous bed, staring blankly at the velvet canopy above her. The silk sheets were soft, expensive, probably worth more than her entire life. And yet, for her, they felt like iron chains disguised in luxury.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered, rolling over and burying her face into one of the overstuffed pillows. "Absolutely ridiculous."
The system, ever unhelpful, remained quiet. No cold robotic voice offering guidance, no emergency suggestions, not even a passive-aggressive "host, please focus." Just silence.
Her temples throbbed. Too many things were piling up all at once.
First, she'd failed her mission in the Abyss. Strike one.
Second, she'd been forcibly abducted by an overpowered villain whose emotional volatility could either kill her or carry her through the story. Strike two.
Third, Zareth apparently had a brother who wasn't supposed to exist in the plot at all. A brother who oozed danger and charm in equal measure. Strike three.
