They escorted her through arched corridors that pulsed faintly with veins of shadow, like the castle itself was alive. Torches lined the walls, but the flames weren’t natural—cold violet light flickered within, casting jagged shadows across stone that seemed to shift when she wasn’t looking directly at it.
When the heavy doors opened into the throne hall, she nearly stumbled back. The chamber stretched endlessly, dark marble floors reflecting the glow of phantom chandeliers that floated in midair. Figures filled the space, some human-shaped, others… not. Cloaked courtiers with whispering masks. Winged shadows draped in silks that trailed like smoke. Beautiful, terrible beings who turned their eyes toward her as though scenting prey.
At the far end of the hall, on a dais of black obsidian
