Free Web NovelChapter 274: Chapter 274
They arrived at the Citadel a short while later. The cruiser docked, the bay sealed behind them, and once the pressure equalized the doors slid open onto the command level.
Zaeryn walked down the wide, polished corridors flanked on either side by Arya and Mireille. Every few paces, officers in uniforms and armed sentries paused, their eyes tracking the trio as it passed.
He was still the only male to walk down here, so yes he still drew curiosity around here, and that was nothing surprising. He kept his stride casual until a familiar figure caught his eye further down in front of him.
Standing at a grand central junction, a bustling intersection where four massive command corridors converged beneath a soaring vaulted ceiling, was Annalise.
But she wasn’t alone. Speaking with her was another woman, tall and eye-catching, with long, dark auburn hair and a face that managed to be beautiful and cold at the same time.
Her eyes were sharp, and the line of her mouth suggested she did not smile often, or at least not at anything Zaeryn would find funny.
He recognized her instantly, only because she was a councillor here. It was Councilwoman Jara.
During the last emergency meeting called by Lysara where all the council members were present, Jara had sat aligned with Zia and the more traditionalist factions.
She had been one of the voices that openly opposed his existence, viewing his anomaly status not as a miracle but as a dangerous disruption to the natural order of the world. She distinctly did not like him.
As their group approached, the sound of their steps must have caught Annalise’s attention. She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze cutting through the passing officers until it landed on Zaeryn.
A bright, genuine warmth flooded her face, and a soft smile curved her lips.
"Zaeryn," she said, breaking off mid-sentence and turning away from the councilwoman to greet him. "Welcome back."
Beside her, Jara stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at him. Her eyes locked onto Zaeryn, all of the disapproval he expected sitting plainly in them. She said nothing. She did not have to. The cold radiating off her did all the talking.
Zaeryn slowed and smiled at Annalise, ignoring the councilwoman’s glare completely. "The High Commander called for me," he said, stopping a respectful distance away. "Though I’m also going to spar with Mireille in the heavy training halls while I’m here."
Annalise let out a soft laugh, her eyes dancing as she looked him over, checking on him the way she always did. "A spar inside the Citadel walls. You really don’t know how to keep a low profile, do you." She shook her head. "But it’s good to see you. Also, you look well."
"I try my best," Zaeryn murmured.
The warmth between them sat strangely in the middle of the citadel’s coldest hallway, an odd little bubble of ease with Jara standing right there, watching the two of them in silence.
"The High Commander is expecting you," Annalise said, her tone shifting just enough to send him on his way without rushing him. "Don’t let me keep you. Go on. I’ll find you after, if there’s time."
Zaeryn nodded to her and continued with Arya and Mireille falling back into step beside him.
Jara waited until he was well out of earshot. Her eyes stayed on his back the entire way.
"You two get along that well," she finally said. It came out in a way that made it clear she didn’t like it, more accusation than question.
Annalise didn’t bother to look away from where Zaeryn had gone. "We do."
"He’s a male, with an ability no one can classify, and he walks these halls like he owns them." Jara turned to face her fully. "I’d think a councilor would know better than to be so familiar with something like that. It looks careless, Annalise. People notice who he’s comfortable with."
Annalise’s smile faded a little, though not into anything sharp. "You sound like Zia."
Jara’s jaw set. "I’m capable of forming my own opinions."
"I know." She said it gently, and meant it. "That’s why it’s a shame to hear their words coming out of your mouth."
For a moment Jara said nothing. She broke off the eye contact and seemingly was thinking about Annalise’s words. Whatever retort she had been holding didn’t come.
"You’re too trusting," she said at last, but there was less iron in it than before.
"And you’re letting two of the most paranoid women in this Citadel think for you." Annalise said. "Spend five minutes with him before you decide what he is. That’s all I’m asking."
★★★
Leaving Annalise and the silently seething Councilwoman Jara behind in the gallery, Zaeryn continued down the hall, flanked by Arya and Mireille.
They finally arrived at the towering, polished blast doors that marked the entrance to High Commander Lysara’s private chambers. free𝑤ebnovel.com
An officer stood at a console beside it. She rose as the three of them approached, offering Mireille the nod of a junior to a senior agent.
"Mireille, Arya." Her eyes moved to Zaeryn. "Zaeryn Noctis."
"He’s here for the High Commander," Mireille said.
"She isn’t in her chamber at the moment." The officer folded her hands. "She stepped out a short while ago. You’re welcome to wait, or I can send word that you’ve arrived."
"She sent for me herself," Zaeryn said.
The officer smiled. "I am aware of that, Zaeryn, and she told me to tell you to wait for her. She shouldn’t be long."
The words had barely left the officer’s mouth when the far end of the wing filled with the sound of three people walking in step, drawing the attention of the three of them.
High Commander Lysara walked in.
Lysara was already mid-conversation, her voice low, speaking to the women on either side of her.
On her right walked Daphne, blue hair loose around her shoulders, listening with the half-lidded patience of someone who had already won whatever argument they were having.
