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Those eyes glittered now as they scanned Zai and Ben from head to toe, taking in their leathers and weapons.
“Hunters,” the Sentinel grunted in either acknowledgement or confirmation.
“Where are your kills? What proof? I do not recognize you.”
“The Grand Hunt is already past,” Zai calmly replied. “We are merely returning from a scouting mission. I have news about the Beast Kings.”
The guard narrowed his eyes but did not accuse Zai of lying.
He wasn’t. He told the truth. He did have information about the leaders of Beasts. And he’d reveal enough to Ashlu to whet her appetite, but not enough to give her an advantage over the animal spirits.
He could feel Ben’s curiosity like a physical touch beside him, even though the human was smart enough not to look at him directly. Ben mimicked his own nonchalant but purposeful stance, arms crossed over his chest with just a hint of impatience.
The boy was a good pretender.
With his height, stature, outfit and disguise, he definitely fit in as a Dark One at first glance. But it was the subtle power, confidence and command he exuded that didn’t invite a second glance.
No Pure One or human had such self-possession. And no hunted Immortal had the casual fearlessness of someone clearly on top of the food chain.
It was a benefit to bring him, Zai realized. Two supposed Dark Ones outfitted in Hunter uniform looked more convincing than one lone Hunter coming to the citadel with suspicious intentions. Hunters usually scouted and traveled in pairs. Lone Hunters venturing into Beast territory were easier to pick off and kill.
Apparently, they looked the part convincingly, for the Sentinel didn’t ask for them to lower their cowls, which were also part of a Hunter’s uniform. He didn’t recognize either of them anyway, so seeing their faces in more detail wouldn’t have yielded a different result.
Other than exposing that Zai was an exile sentenced to death if he ever set foot in the Dark Ones’ capital again.
Fickle fortune must have been on Zai’s side this night, for the guards retreated to open the gates without further inspection or interrogation.
“The Queen is not receiving until dawn at the earliest,” the lead Sentinel said. “You will be escorted to the barracks. Stay in the outer court, and keep out of trouble.”
Zai gave a brief nod.
When the guards turned away, he released the breath he’d been surreptitiously holding. This first gauntlet had gone better than expected.
As they followed their escorts to the barracks, he could feel Ben doing his best to take in the unfamiliar surroundings while also appearing uninterested like someone who’d been here many times before. Zai, too, noted the changes that had been made to the citadel since he’d last set foot here with casual glances out of the corners of his eyes.
The first things he noticed were the elaborate motifs carved into the stone walls, the jewels that glittered in arches and columns, the flowering trees that had been planted in strategic locations, and the manicured greenery that surrounded stone-paved paths.
Under Gaia’s rule, the citadel was a fortress of war. There was nothing decorative or luxurious about it.
In contrast, Ashlu’s citadel was white-washed elegance. Still crude as changes were being made, old structures in the process of being torn down and rebuilt, but one could see the sophistication that was beginning to emerge.
Queen Ashlu clearly possessed an appreciation for finer things.
The citadel was heavily fortified as always, but Zai didn’t recognize any of the guards. They all appeared to be new. Queen Ashlu must have changed them out as soon as she took the throne. Most likely, she’d had the old guards executed.
Rumors said that the new queen was extremely cunning. She trusted no one, including her mothers’ guards and confidantes. Perhaps especially those closest to Gaia. Ashlu immediately put her own guards in charge wherever she could. The only two critical roles she kept from Gaia’s contingent were the Dark Commander and the Consul.
It made sense. The Dark Commander still possessed the loyalty of the legions, and he’d won many wars for Gaia. His reputation preceded him, and that alone held some of the Dark Ones’ enemies at bay.
The Consul, on the other hand, knew all of the ins and outs of civil affairs, internal and external politics, treaties with allies and disputes with would-be rebels. It would take time for Ashlu to establish her own relationships and reputation.
And until that time, she needed them.
Meanwhile, she was building her own base of power with new allegiances, an entirely new personal guard and inner court.
This was all good news for Zai’s infiltration and plan.
He’d never met Ashlu when Gaia had ruled. She was the mysterious Dark Princess that Gaia kept from the public’s eye. Gaia never did like to share her “popularity.” By all accounts, her daughter by an unknown sire was more beautiful, charming and intelligent.
