I slid the paper from my pocket, and, ignoring his instructions to stop, I stepped in front of the trio. The fucker lifted the shock stick, preparing to subdue me, but lowered it once the slightly dirty, light-purple sheet became apparent. He snatched it from my fingers, and his frown cut deeper lines into his face.
With sharp movements, he folded our summons and passed it back through the bars. His hand waved in a circle as he signaled for the gate to be opened. It creaked and rolled past us, leaving nothing between us and the Reapers that destroyed my things and placed us in the dungeon. Of course, they probably weren't the ones that had taken us in, but the ache in my clenched jaw didn't differentiate between them.
“Welcome, Grim Grouping Healani, Grim Grouping Mannix. You will be escorted to wait until King Lorian deems it necessary to see you. Remain in your Reaper form at all times while you are guests here,” the Guard instructed without a hint of an apology in his voice.
Axton lifted his foot to step forward, and I sent a shot of cold into him, hoping that would be enough to stop him. Luckily, it was, and he remained in place. I wanted to see something before I left my spot. The Guard gestured for us to join another of the toy soldiers. Still, I stared.
I took a moment to peek into my well, now completely covered with the poisonous purple and red vines that once confined themselves to only the sides. They seemed to grow ever further with each binal as if they were trying to creep across my entire being. That worried me, but not as much as the monster that slept inside. It hadn't been acting right since I'd first joined with it, and because it was an unknown factor, I'd drugged it into compliance before we left. Though I'd hoped to find it still sleeping, the minor confrontation between the Guard and me had already caught its scrutiny.
Drawing away before it could try to communicate with me, I focused my attention on the Guard. Pushing threads of submission towards him, I played with my newest ability, one I'd gained over the past set. My first attempt fell short, likely because the amount of emotional particles just wasn't enough. Manipulating others without the physical connection proved difficult, and I had little experience with it. The Guard still stood, staring at me as his skin turned grey and his scowl deepened.
Pulling hard on the contents of the sloshing well inside, I weaved daggers of humility and fear, twining them together before shooting them into the Guard's center.
He winced as they struck his soul form. When it faded from his face, his body jerked forward, bowing to me as he should have to begin with. Fucking Guards, always thinking they were above everyone.
Satisfied, I nodded and floated away. The trio followed behind me, taking my lead and opting to float as well. While I knew they'd begun to open their eyes to the way of things in this sector, I also realized they weren't quite ready to play the game we were already entrenched in.
Staying silent would make it even harder, but speaking would point out a weakness that we couldn't afford. Hopefully, the trio would remember the outcome of their last visit to the palace.
The scenes of my past overlaid the present in my mind as our escorts led us up the expansive steps. Corin and I slid down them one winter when they iced over, providing us with an icy slide. A vision of the King as he stood atop them, ordering our arrests despite his promise. And in another, Master Akai's fingers squeezing my arm tight as he offered platitudes and false pleasantries.
Tap, tap, tapping on my cheek yanked me from my scattered thoughts. Shadow was right. I needed to push the past down and focus on the now. This visit showed they had heightened security around the palace. Guards were more visible and more plentiful than I'd ever encountered before. It seemed the King had become more worried about his safety since the last time we'd seen him.
After we entered the front doors, a different pair of Guards herded us to a small anteroom that held a narrow settee. The walls were a deep grey and covered with portraits of previous Kings, Assemblians, and Masters.