A collection of cushy armchairs and wizened-looking couches sat interspersed around the room, turned away from one another, as though the furniture was in the middle of a disagreement. Soft carpet colored the floor a dark blue, the color of a night sky without stars. In the center of the room, a polished oak table sat, gleaming prettily. A stone fireplace was set in the far wall, cold, dark, and dreary looking.

There were no windows, and the only door was the one through which Vix had ...