Page 179 of A Soul to Embrace

Zylah would be safe and sheltered behind an impenetrable fortress not evenhecould infiltrate without trickery.

I know they’ve been accepting Demons into their fold.He was sure they’d figured out that they required meat and began compensating for it. He knew they’d been trying to rectify the mistakes of their past by doing the right thing in the present.Surely... they’d accept a Mavka seeking refuge.

So long as they covered her snout with a material soaked in a scent-cloaking spell, Zylah would be harmless. All they’d need to worry about was her anger, which was almost non-existent.

She was sweet and perfect, and she deserved to be in a place where she could be protected.

“Knock, Zylah,” Jabez urged, bringing her a bit closer.

She tentatively raised her hand and tapped her knuckles against the door. No matter that she’d done so lightly, a small rainbow bubble formed around them as a protective dome. The main barrier never disappeared, refusing to allow them inside just yet.

The short hairs on the nape of his neck and forearms lifted in aversion, and regret simmered beneath the surface of his skin. He felt trapped within their Elven magic, when he’d spent his whole life fleeing from how that had made him feel as a child.

Within seconds, the rich metal ores on the gate sprung to life. Unknotting their interlocking patterns, they receded like water being sucked backwards through the grooves, and flooded the mechanism that allowed the gate to open on its own. Then the double doors creaked and groaned as they swung inwards.

Two soldiers stood on the other side of the threshold, waiting for the doors to open fully. They both held Elvish rankae glaives that looked like cutlass blades attached to their metal poles. At the base of each blade was a ribbon that highlighted their ranking within the army. Considering they were stationed hereat night, it was no wonder both of theirs were red, revealing them to be high-ranking individuals.

Swirling, knotted patterns had been etched into the seams of their armour. Although they were similar, each groove told a story of who they were, what family they came from, and any remarkable achievements they’d carried out.

Although their white armour shone like metal, it was actually made of silk that came from the very leaves of the tree in the middle of the city. They didn’t need to pluck them, as the leaves fell naturally, and the Elysians were watchful to make sure they didn’t land upon anyone. The silk itself was stronger than any ore that could be mined.

It allowed them flexibility, while remaining durable and strong.

The only visible parts of the soldiers were their faces and the undersides of their hands. Like all Elysians, their skin was one of the various shades of brown, but he did note that the one on the right had red eyes, as if he were a Demon. It was hard to tell with their winged helmets on.

Jabez stared at them, and they him. When it went on for too long, especially when they shared an uncertain crinkle of their brows, his eyes narrowed.

“Well?” he asked in Nyl’kira. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to do something?”

“You have brought a Duskwalker, Demon,” the Elven one on the left stated.

Jabez’s head reared back. Firstly, because he’d called him a Demon as if he didn’t know who he was, and secondly...How do they know what she is?

“If you don’t mind, you will need to stay there while we speak with the head of security. He will likely come and investigate this himself.”

“Since you know Nyl’kira, we won’t have to obtain a translator to speak on your behalf,” the Demon soldier stated.

Jabez opened his mouth to grill them with questions, but he wisely shut it.Just get her through the gate.It was a relief that his actual face was entirely unknown, as he hadn’t thought to glamour himself.

“Sure. We’ll wait here,” Jabez bit through clenched fangs. “But I urge you to be quick. She’s injured and I seek to take her for healing.”

“The Duskwalker is hurt?” the Demon asked, before stepping back with a nod. “Understood. We’ll ensure this is dealt with in a timely matter.”

They both left, sprinting as they did, and he appreciated they didn’t intend to dawdle like a pair of fuckwits.

“Do you mind if I put you down?” Jabez asked in English. He lowered to his knees, refusing to let her rest any weight on her injured leg. “We have to wait here while they speak to the head of security.”

As much as he would have liked to hold her, she was heavy, and resting his arms and legs for a short while would do him some good. There was no point in wasting energy when he didn’t need to.

Zylah nodded and released her arms from around his neck. He carefully settled her on the ground and sat next to her so he wasn’t hovering over her.

He looked past the open gate and down the long, tall, and wide hallway through the stone walls that led deeper within the city. Just beyond it lay houses or establishments, none fearing their proximity to the walls that had protected them for so long.

Other than when he’d left this city, he’d never been to the outskirts of it. He didn’t know if much had changed. He didn’t care to inspect it, so he brought his stare back to Zylah, who was trying to stifle her soft sounds of discomfort.

“Are you okay?” He checked on the wound on her leg to see it hadn’t changed at all since she obtained it.

She lifted her snout towards the opening. “This place smells nice.”

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