When the energy dissipated, Mark found himself back in the halls of his immense palace, and a wave of relief washed over him from head to toe.
"Finally home..." he murmured.
He recognized instantly the high vaulted ceilings, the polished stone columns, the wide corridors he'd walked through so many times.
Mark walked over to one of the large windows and gazed out at the city.
Night blanketed the elven capital beneath a sky full of stars, and at first glance everything seemed peaceful. But it didn't take him long to notice something had changed.
The streets were bathed in a light far more intense and widespread than he remembered.
Even at that hour, much of the city remained lit up, as if the entire capital had gained a life of its own during his absence.
Mark frowned slightly, but decided not to dwell on it. He'd have time to find out what had happened later.
There was something far more important right now.
His wives.
