Considering Xumi wanted Sebastian, I wasn’t sure being mistaken for him was a great idea. But until we knew the lay of the land, I supposed it made sense. Anna shot me a concerned look, her face barely visible in the depths of her hood.
“Hole up until dark, and stick to the route I showed you,” Haki said. “It isn’t on the plans Xumi sent with me. She holds court at night, so she’s too busy to indulge her sick fantasies. That is the best time to sneak into the room where she keeps Talakai.” He glanced at the guards. “I have to go, or it will look like I’m betraying her. Which I am.” His teeth flashed from within his hood. “I wish you luck.”
The Dragon turned and stepped back through the gate. The guardians didn’t like that. I saw them move forward as though to intercept, but he was already gone.
Jacques moved closer to Anna, and I couldn’t stifle the growl. The Satyr swayed from foot to foot, shooting me nervous glances.
“Mon ami, you growling at me doesn’t make any of this easier,” Jacques complained.
“You didn’t have to come,” I said. I bit my tongue before I added that he wasn’t my friend. Which I was pretty sure he’d just called me, although my French was appalling.
“Cara is going to have my hide for this as it is,” he moaned. “I am not going to be responsible for sending two students off after achienne répréhensiblealone.”
I had no idea what achienwas, but the second word sounded about right. “We have good intel, mate.” I was pleased that my words actually came out as words, and not as a rumbling growl.
“Mes amies, we need to wait for Sebastian and Cara,” Jacques stated, not for the first time.
“It might take them hours to get here,” Anna pointed out, glancing up at the sky. “We have, at most, only a few until Haki says it’s safe to try.”
“Safest,ma belle,” Jacques clarified. “It will never besafe.”
Anna continued as though he hadn’t interrupted. “If Cara finds Sebastian by then, and they get here, we can do this together.”
The Satyr’s hood trembled. “And if they don’t?”
“We’re not leaving Talakai with that underworld bitch for one second longer than necessary,” I growled. It surprised me that my beast was as definite on that as my human.
Anna’s hood turned toward me, and I caught the flash of teeth as she smiled. It eased some of the turmoil building within me.
Jacques sighed and rubbed his temple as he led the way out of the alley. “I can take you someplace where you can safely stay and wait.”
“How far away is her fortress?” Anna asked.
“It is right on the outskirts, about a half hour from here,” Jacques said. “I’ve never been there. You can’t get close to the place without being accosted by her Dragongardes. But I know where it is.”
If we wanted in, we were going to have to get around those guards. “Haki said the forest surrounding it is pretty dense. That makes it hard to patrol.”
“Except for the Dragon part.” Jacques refused to look at me, but there was a hint of reproach in his tone. “Those wings aren’t just fordécoration.”
“Haki has given us a back way in,” I stated. “That will get us past most patrols.”
“If they want Sebastian, they’ll have created a hole in their patrols anyway. Or their trap will not work,” Anna pointed out.
That ability to intuitively grasp things was why Anna made a good leader. Once she finished with her Shade training, I figured she’d be unstoppable.
Jacques didn’t respond, merely led us along the side street until we emerged onto a main thoroughfare.
Those traversing the street were a mix of species, most on foot, but quite a few riding bikes. A few were motorized, and rather loud. It seemed there weren’t many living versions of vehicles in this realm.
A fair number of residents were scurrying along the stone sidewalk, and immediately, I was in complete chaos. I found myself pacing so close to Anna that I kept bumping into her, torn between forming a barrier between her and Jacques, and her and the rest of the world.
Ridiculous, but there it was. It was severe enough that those on the street picked up vibes from me—whether it be body language or scent, no way to tell for sure. But the crowd parted for us like the Red Sea did for Moses.
Anna shot me a look and then leaned past me to whisper to Jacques.
“We need to get off the street. Sooner rather than later.”
Jacques glanced up at me, but he nodded. “It isn’t far. I’m often in this realm, so I keep a room in a boarding house. Xumi’s information network is second to none, and I tap into it as much as possible.” His mouth twisted. “Until recently, the intel has been quiteprécise.”
