Everything about this kingdom was horrifying, and she found herself observing the details despite her fear.
The presence was right behind her now, so close that she could feel the heat of his body through the layers of her simple court dress. The nauseating scent of him filled her nostrils. It was cloying and suffocating. Her body no longer felt like hers, but rather a cage, and her mind was struggling not to be invaded.
"She is... quiet," the voice rumbled behind her, just like the voice in her head when she was undergoing the ritual earlier. “Let’s see how long she can last.”
She hadn’t heard voices in her head before the ritual. It started the moment the crystal shattered. Whatever magic was in that stone, it left something behind.
And, whoever it was that she was feeling his presen
