Agony seared my soul, sending fiery tendrils of pain throughout my body. I was still sleeping, but the pain seeped through, reaching deep and invading my dreams. Those were the same they always were, plunging me into the endless, shadowy corridors of the Divine Throne. The Fire, the faces, the terror were amplified by my injuries, swirling me about like a tempest and crashing against the shores of my insecurities. When at last Soltair's visage consumed me, I jolted awake, cheeks wet with tears.
"Xiviyah!"
Soltair bent over me, his face overlapping with the fading remnants of the nightmare. I flinched as he touched my face, but relaxed when I realized what was happening. This Soltair would never hurt me.
He looked tired and worn, his face long with worry. Of all his previous injuries, only a faint white scar on his neck remained. I lay back in my room, in the slave quarters. The magical lights shone brightly, casting heavy shadows against the walls.
