"What?"
Effie stared at him for a while, then said: “Tell me that the Dreamspawn is a vile scumbag, that he only has malice in his heart, and that Nephis is going to seal that wicked ghoul for all eternity sooner or later."
Her husband looked at her with a faint smile.
The silence stretched between them, making a cold shiver run down Effie's spine. Eventually, though, he chuckled.
"Is that all you want? Sure. The Dreamspawn is a vile scumbag, has only malice in his heart, and is going to be sealed for all eternity by Lady Nephis soon."
Effie let out a relieved sigh.
But then, she hesitated.
‘Why... is he not angry with me? Shouldn't he be angry for being suspected?'
She looked at her husband, still unsure.
He chuckled, shook his head, and focused on his food.
‘Perhaps I was wrong, after all.’
As the fire burning in the fireplace reflected in his eyes, a golden gleam seemed to spark in their depths for a brief moment.
...And then, a scattering of other memories flashing like appalling snapshots of a dying world.
Effie was sprawled on cold stones, iron chains binding her bloodied limbs. Only there was no trace of the hale, vivacious woman she had been anymore — instead, she was like a corpse, so gaunt that it seemed that a gust of wing would break her in half.
Her arms had become skeletal and weak. Her ribs rose like ridges, hugged tightly by the lifeless skin. Her stomach was so thin that it seemed to cling to her spine. Her gaunt face was sunken and bruised, with feverish eyes burning on it darkly. Her legs were like long sticks, bent awkwardly. It did not seem like she could move them anymore.
Her body was a ghastly image of a beast that was slowly consuming itself, having already digested most of its own flesh.
Then, there was the sound of an opening door, and she turned her head listlessly to look at the bars of her cage.
A delicious aroma wafted through the stale air.
Her husband appeared at the entrance of the dungeon, stepping carefully over the runes carved into its floor. He was carrying a tray brimming with all kinds of delicious food.
He placed the tray in front of the cage and smiled.
“I brought your favorite."
Effie simply stared at him, not saying anything. He hesitated for a while, then sighed.
"I simply don't understand why you're persisting in this foolishness, my love. All you have to do is tell me where our son is." He studied the ghastly wreckage of her body, his expression turning somber.
“You don't even have to say it! Just think it. Please, Effie... tell me where our son is. Let's end this. Where is Little Ling?"
Effie remained silent for a while...
Then smiled slowly.
Her hoarse voice was like a dying echo. "Oh, yeah? Is the ghoul... reading my thoughts, then?"
Turning away from her husband, she looked at the ceiling and suddenly let out a laugh. “What am I thinking about now?"
Her husband's expression changed. He lingered for a moment, then frowned in confusion.
"...Food? You're only thinking about food?" Effie's grating laughter grew louder.
"Ah, what to do? The food! All I can think about is food! How unfortunate for that bastard, huh?"
Her laughter turned into coughs, and then into sobs.
"The food... ah, I'm hungry..."
Somewhere else, Quentin and Beth were holding hands, smiling, as they looked at the sky. In the sky, the Ivory Island was being besieged by the Night Garden, minutes away from falling into the hands of the thralls of the Hunger Domain.
"Look, Beth! The Saints of Night are going into battle!"
Beth smiled joyfully.
“Yeah. That silver light... how pretty."
And somewhere else, in Ravenheart... Seishan found herself having to spill the blood of her sisters.
But before too long, she was of one mind with them again.