Veronica woke to the sound of silence. Too much silence.
The fire in the fireplace had burned down to faint violet embers, casting shadows on the obsidian walls. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. For a second she forgot where she was. Then the memory hit like a stone.
The Obsidian Spire. Zareth. Cyrus. Her failed mission.
She flopped back down on the pillow with a groan. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I'm living in a haunted skyscraper run by two overpowered maniacs. This is fine. Totally fine."
From the end of the bed, a familiar yawn. Yumike had curled herself into a ball of fur on the silk sheets, looking entirely too content. One ear flicked at Veronica's voice.
"You complain too much," the fox said, not even opening her eyes. "It could be worse."
Veronica dragged herself up, glaring at her companion. "Really? How exactly could it be worse?"
