Noah controlled his expression, and internally he cursed with everything he had.
What fucking choice?!
Because there was no choice. The choice to be made here was clear, and it was horrible, and it was clear precisely because it was horrible.
A weapon that could topple an architect, offered to a man standing frozen in front of one, and the correct answer was to hand it back!
Noah did not hesitate.
He gripped the golden ring and physically pulled it off his finger, the metal coming free without resistance now, and he drew his arm back and threw it up through the frozen steam toward THE REMINISCING WIDOW!
"This ring was given to you."
His voice carried across the whole of the frozen spring!
"It is a grand artifact and I could choose to keep it. But I know what it means to you. It was the last thing he gave you." He watched it turn end over end as it rose toward her. "You can now put it on."
The ring reached her.
THE REMINISCING WIDOW caught it.
