At first the guards did not react, and at that point I truly did wonder if they were made of stone as well. If that was the case, I could plead for their sympathy as a fellow statue. But after a moment, one of the guards said, "I'm sorry, but we cannot let you pass."
The Devereaux of the past would have accepted this at face value, telling himself that this was just the way of the world. He would not bother to push against it.
But Florian ignited something in me. I had never felt such an intense rush of determination before. I knew without a doubt that I needed to go to him and I would not let anything or anyone stand in my way.
"Open the gate," I demanded.
The guards moved hesitantly, exchanging glances with each other, like neither of them knew what to do.
They were silent. This was my opportunity to take a stand. I stepped forward. The gate loomed over me like a living beast. In a way, I felt a sudden sense of superiority. Argon had said I was stone given life. I was not truly alive in the way that humans were. I was different. In that case, this gate should have no power over me. We were the same—a beast made of iron, and a beast made of stone. The only difference between us was that Argon had blessed me with human shape, however temporary. I could grab the gate’s bars with my hands and force it open, opening the path between me and Florian.
"If you will not open it, then I will," I told the guards.
As I took another step, the guards became uncharacteristically frazzled. They surged towards the centre of the gate and raised their spears.
So they were going to resist. I did not want to fight anyone, but I refused to stay trapped here forever. I needed to go to Florian.
"Move."
"I'm terribly sorry, but we can't let you pass. We're under strict orders not to let you through," one guard said.
Was it my imagination or was his voice trembling?
Was he... afraid of me?
The similarity of the situation thrust me back into a recent memory, when I had been an accidental voyeur to the two humans fooling around in the courtyard after dark. The sight of me shocked them into a frenzied escape. At least, that was what I thought at the time. I assumed it was my sudden appearance that frightened them.
But the guards knew me. They had seen me countless times and were familiar with how I looked. My appearance alone could not be what unnerved them.
As I looked down at the steel-coated guards, I realized for the first time that I was much taller. The guards were not short, and in addition to their natural height they wore heeled boots. Yet I still towered over them. Was I taller than the majority of humans? Did it make me seem less human in their eyes? I wondered if Argon created my body this way on purpose.
Perhaps I could use it to my advantage. I did not want to intimidate them, but if they prevented me from opening the path to Florian, I had no choice.
I took a step closer.
"Open the gate," I ordered.
The guards pressed together, shoulder to shoulder, their armor clinking. They raised their spears with shaking hands.
Theywereafraid of me. But why?
"I'm sorry. We can't. We were told not to let you pass."
"By whom?" I asked.
When they did not reply, my temper flared. My patience was thinning with these guards who could not produce a single good reason to keep me trapped here on the castle grounds. They were keeping me away from Florian. That was unacceptable.
"Move," I commanded.
A hand landed on my shoulder from behind. My brief flash of hope that it could be Florian was quickly dashed because the hand was cold and rough. Florian's skin was always warm, soft and smooth.
"Devereaux," Argon said. "That's enough."
I turned to face him. Once again, the hood enveloped him in shadows. I was growing suspicious about his true face. It could not be a coincidence that he hid himself the same way my eyes were hidden.
"Come with me," Argon said.
The guards seemed to relax when Argon was around. Was he the one who had ordered my imprisonment here?
