“Do you need blood, Aiko?” I asked.
“I shouldn’t. It’s healing already. I feel the itch.”
“Are you going to be okay walking into this city?” Rilen asked. “This is a lot to ask of you if you didn’t leave on good terms.”
We walked a few paces, quiet. Aiko finally spoke.
“I’m not okay, not with this. But we need to find Gwynnore because I’m starting to think she’s the only one who can control that man back there.”
“I won’t disagree,” Roran said.
“I can hear you!” Belshazzar snapped.
“We don’t care!” I snapped back.
Making our way down the hill, we wound down to a massive gate that guarded the entrance of the city. It was open, and a few people were coming in and out, as well as people coming from both north and south. A few people were waiting around the gate, looking like guards, but for the most part, it wasn’t guarded.
Aiko walked to the first guard on the right.
“Guardian, is the Triumvirate in session today?”
The guard raised his eyebrows. “They are near adjourning for the day. I’d hurry if I were you.”
Nodding his thanks, Aiko strode into the gate while the guard dropped his pike in front of us, barring us from following.
“Aiko!” I called.
He turned and seemed surprised. “What’s going on? They are with me.”
“They are not from Elkthorne. They need the sector captain’s permission to enter,” he answered. “It will take a few minutes before I can get him here. You can go to the triumvirate, and they can wait for permission.”
“We don’t have time. We need—”
“Sir, rules.”
“Aiko, go,” I said. “We’ll wait here. We need to talk to the Triumvirate, and the sooner we do, the sooner we’re on our way.” I turned to the guard. “Fetch the captain. We don’t have time to waste, and you really don’t want to deal with the angry vampire we have with us.”
Aiko nodded. “Guardian, send them to the Tower Square when you have permission.” He turned and started to jog to the center of the city.
“Be mindful!” the guard called. “We don’t abide the speed in our city.”
“Get the captain,” I repeated.
He left us standing there while he walked to the wall and picked up a strange device with what looked like two cups on it. He tapped some button on the face of the object and waited with one of the cups on his ear.
He spoke into the cup, “Sir, main gate. We have visitors who arrived with a citizen.” He paused. “Of course, sir. Yes. We’ll be waiting.” He pressed another few buttons and balanced the two cups on the top of the device. “The captain will be here in fifteen minutes.”
“More time-wasting?” Belshazzar growled.
“Rules, sir,” the guard said.
Belshazzar lunged for him, but Dorian caught him. “Stop. We’ll abide by the rules. For the space of fifteen minutes. Once that time has elapsed, we’ll see ourselves in.”
“You’ll stay where you are.”
The king flashed his fangs.
The guard flashed his back.
