Page 22 of Joy Guardian
I walked with my head held high, my hands clasped in front of my chest, and my expression serene as would be expected from a servant of the Joy, but my mind raced. I had an escape plan in place if I were discovered. An escape, however, meant abandoning my mission and putting the Watchers’ plan in jeopardy once again.
It also meant that the humans in the queen’ssaraiwould die.
All of them.
Every single one.
I followed the guards up to the main floor, then along a side corridor to a narrow door at the end.
“This is not the council’s usual meeting room,” I noted.
“But this is where the Head Councilor is waiting for you.” The guard knocked on the door, while the other five formed a semicircle behind me, cutting off my escape.
“Come in,” the invitation sounded in thevoice of Lady Uryami, the Head Councilor. At least the guard didn’t lie about her wishing to see me.
A guard opened the door, and I had no choice but to enter.
“Joy Guardian Kurai,” the Head Councilor greeted me, standing in the small windowless room.
The door behind me closed, leaving me trapped. Without a window or a wide enough gap under the door, I couldn’t even escape as a shadow.
But Lady Uryami was alone. As far as I could see, she had no weapons on her.
“Greetings, Head Councilor. How may I be of assistance this time?” I inclined my head respectfully, playing my part of an innocent man for as long as I still could.
She drew in a long breath, taking a step toward me.
“Out of respect for the Master Guardian, who spoke highly of you, I want to clear this matter privately.”
“What matter is it, my lady?”
She waved a hand that was heavily decorated with precious rings and golden bracelets. “Hopefully, nothing to worry about. Just a formality. May I ask you to remove your bracers please?”
Panic lanced through me, momentarily depriving me of the ability to breathe.
They knew.
I gripped my right wrist mechanically.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, my lady. Is there a problem with my bracers?” I kept my voice innocently clear.
Guardians often wore short gold bracers or wide wrist cuffs in public, along with our gold collars. Since I was required to keep my tendrils hidden while visiting thesarai, I wore the matching golden strips on my arms and around my torso too. Compared to the overall amount of gold on my body, the bracers were but a small part.
“We received new information about the Watchers,” she explained. “Apparently, they identify themselves by a scorpiontattoo on the wrist.” She pointed at my right bracer. “I need to see your wrists, Joy Guardian.”
For an organization that wished to remain secret, having a clear identification sign like a tattoo wasn’t prudent. But the purpose of our tattoo was to prove our commitment. Scars healed on a fae, but done in gold and sealed with a spell, the image of the scorpion would remain etched in my skin for life—as long or as short as my life might be.
“Is the council under the impression that I may be one of the so-called Watchers?” I asked, buying a moment or two to think.
Was the door to the room locked? I hadn’t heard a key turn in it. But if it was locked, I’d be wasting my only chance to escape while trying to open it.
“Please don’t take my request as an insult, Joy Guardian Kurai,” the Head Councilor said. “It’s not a matter of trust but a matter of security. We need to make sure there is no threat to the queen’s Joy Vessels from anyone with access to thesarai.”
“I understand.” I nodded serenely, removing the gold strap from above my bicep, promptly followed by the one above my elbow on the same arm.
“Oh, there is no need to remove them all,” the Head Councilor tried to stop me.
But for me to escape as a shadow, it was best to have at least some of my tendrils exposed.
