A throne.
Black stone.
A crown.
Veyr sat upon it.
Not imprisoned.
Waiting.
His eyes were gold.
His hair was white.
And behind him stood thousands of kneeling wolves.
He smiled at me.
"There you are."
I tried to pull away.
Nothing happened.
"This isn't real."
"Does pain become meaningless simply because it happens inside your mind?"
He raised one hand.
A chain appeared around my wrist.
The same chain.
I looked at him.
"You can't control me."
"No."
His smile widened.
"That's why I need you to choose."
The throne beside him was empty.
My stomach turned.
"I don't want your throne."
"Neither did I."
He stood.
For the first time, I saw him clearly.
He didn't look monstrous.
That was somehow worse.
He looked tired.
Beautiful.
Sad.
Human.
"I was given the same gi
