Tears in a place like this would be courting death.
All she could do was bite her inner lip, using the pain to keep herself awake.
Caleb Shaw glanced back at her, an apology in his eyes, then turned to follow the guards out.
He could have left without a backward glance.
But he chose to pause for a second, leaving her with a look.
Then, his figure faded into the line of black-armored guards.
Selene Kane walked into the secondary hall with the crowd.
The surrounding clamor became an indistinct blur.
She kept her head down, trying to minimize her presence, just wanting to find a corner to hide and take a breather.
Even though it was called the "secondary hall," it was no less opulent than the main hall.
The golden dome was painted with intricate star path totems, inlaid with luminescent gems of some unknown mineral.
The floor was paved with whole slabs of cut crystal jade, polished to mirror-quality.
