The gate’s presence rippled through her, and she fought to pinpoint its location. Not far, she thought. Although Nikolai had infused her with life energy, it wasn’t the same as topping up on crystal dust. The levels of it in her body had dropped to the point where sensing took effort.
The gate only stayed open for a moment as someone passed through, but its connection to the local lodestone could be sensed if she concentrated. So as the flare from someone using the gate faded, she focused instead on the lodestone source.
Lucas didn’t comment as he followed her. How badly had she offended him? Although he’d struggled in the forest, now that he was back in civilization, he was in his home element. His ability to blend wasn’t just due to his morphing talent, he also possessed an impressive degree of street savvy.
She’d always considered herself able to navigate the intricacies of society, but Lucas took it to an entirely new level. As a bodyguard, she’d walked apart from it. Her job had been to provide a buffer between society and her client.
Lucas was able to merge seamlessly into it. It was a talent she’d never truly appreciated until now.
Maybe it was time she respected some of his other talents as well.
Aria rounded a corner and stopped.
Lucas ranged up alongside her. His hooded head scanned the alley before them and provided an assessment that matched hers. “One behind that crate. Another in the doorway across from it. Definitely guarding something here.”
Aria cast her senses outward, reading the guards’ energy. “They aren’t local,” Aria whispered without looking at him. “Not sure what species they are, though.”
Lucas nodded and stepped past her.
“Wait! What are you doing?”
Lucas didn’t even break stride. “Time to introduce myself.” He glanced at her. From the depths of his hood, the emerald rings around his irises glowed in the dim light. It surprised her that he’d reverted to his natural form. Was he more comfortable addressing the guards as a Morph?
“I don’t suppose there is any chance of me convincing you to stay here?” he asked as she moved up alongside him.
“Uh, nope. Chances are precisely zero on that.”
“Okay. Can you follow my lead?” His side glance measured her.
Aria stifled her impatience. It was a reasonable question. Since arriving in this town, he had taken on the leadership role. She wasn’t accustomed to ceding that kind of control.
Except she did, all the time, by hiring herself out to underlords who often had questionable motives. At least Lucas was focused on something they both wanted.
Muttering a curse under her breath, Aria nodded.
Lucas resumed his progress into the alley, carrying himself straight and tall. No pretenses, now. Aria abandoned her slouch, tugged her cloak back from her hip so her tail spike was clearly visible, and followed him.
The two guards stepped into the light. Their features were totally obscured by their hoods, but both were substantially larger than either the locals or Lucas. Each had a hand up beneath their cape, and Aria doubted they were scratching whatever substituted for balls in their species. Those concealing folds of cloth could, and did, hide weapons. .
Adrenaline coursed through her, and with a sense of relief, Aria embraced the familiar routine of channeling it, using it to prime her mind and body for action. As always, her mentors’ voices popped into her head, talking her through potential scenarios.
When Lucas walked right up to the closest one, she stayed a step back, with a hand on her tail spike and eyes level with the guard. She couldn’t see into the hood, but it remained oriented so that both she and Lucas were in its line of sight.
Lucas stopped before him. “I’m here to see the gatekeeper,” he said in Formal.
The guard did not reply and the dark hood remained motionless as he assessed Lucas. Then he gestured to the other one, who spun on his heel and strode to an alcove featuring a heavy wooden door. He banged on it, and a viewing plate slid aside.
“Open up,” the guard barked.
Aria kept her body language calm, but her heart started to race. The guard hadn’t asked any questions, hadn’t even demanded they remove their hoods to see their faces. Direct eye contact conveyed a lot. She would have patted them down and taken her tail spike as well as Lucas’s knife.
Instead, they were being admitted as though they were trusted friends.
If these were her guards, she’d fire them. But even more disturbing—why? Why let them through with a minimum of fuss? Her skin prickled as the heavy door opened and they walked through.
Aria leaned close to Lucas. “Not liking this,” she grumbled.
“Yeah. Something’s up.” Lucas kept his tone light, but she noted he had a hand beneath his cloak as well, no doubt gripping his knife. “But we need this contact, or we’re stuck here.”
