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“You do know my sister’s visions are reliable, right?”
He looks ready to argue, but after a heavy sigh, he turns around and grabs a chest plate from the wall. I watch as he straps it on, followed by a few more pieces.
When he’s done, he’s not nearly as covered as I am, but it’s enough.
“Satisfied?” he asks.
The gleam in his eye is either a sexual innuendo—again—or a way of baiting me into another argument. I don’t trust myself in either scenario.
“Let’s just get going,” I mutter, turning for the door.
His chuckle is quiet at my back.
I ignore it and march out the way we came in. When we emerge into the lobby again, a few people are entering through the main doors. They salute Legion and glance uncertainly at me.
Legion leads me past them and out the doors. Outside, he sets a brisk pace down a walkway that leads straight toward the castle gates. We pass more soldiers as we go, each of them with a salute for Legion and a curious stare aimed at me.
“Am I going to get into trouble for wearing this?” I ask as we walk.
“Are you worried about being punished?” he asks with no small amount of enjoyment written on his features.
I scowl. “I’m already in hell. Not sure what more you guys could do to me.”
“Oh, I have lots of ideas.”
I don’t have an answer for that one, so we walk in silence, passing through the gate with barely a word exchanged between Legion and the guards. As we get closer to the castle, we encounter more guards and more salutes.
“Sir,” several murmur with respect and admiration reflected in their expression.
I get more stares.
Likely wondering who the masked warrior is beside their beloved General.
But no one stops us, and soon enough, we’re through the portal and out the other side into the Crossroads. It’s deserted here other than the Tartarus guards posted at the portal entrance.
One of them is a woman Legion addresses as Clara. After a quick conversation that involves several dubious glances from her, he breaks off and returns to my side.
“What is it?” Legion asks as we leave the fountain and head for my house. The area is a lot more deserted than I expected. Dead trees and a lack of grass surround the entire portal area. Coating it all is a layer of blackened char marking a clear perimeter where the portal magic has infected our realm. Even the fountain is now stained black.
Tartarus guards keep a watchful eye on it all, making sure no Crossroads citizens come into contact with the dark magic residue.
“I’m surprised,” I say, “I thought the portal would have drawn more folks by now.”
“Tartarus is being very selective about those they allow to pass through. Clara has guards keeping people outside the perimeter of the portal’s magic. We don’t want anyone else infected or hurt.”
I glance up at him and find a hard expression. “Did something happen?”
He glances at me then back to the road, his watchful gaze scrutinizing everyone we pass.
“Legion?”
He cuts me a look as if I’ve interrupted some distracting thought. “No.”
“Reagan told me about the explosion,” I say.
He looks at me, surprised, but then nods. “We hunted down those responsible.”
“Yes, I heard you’re second best at interrogation.”
