Wings of Eden

Chapter Fifty One

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"Halt! State your business."

A guard stopped the group before Quinn even had a chance to approach him. He was stone-faced and armored, with a blue and gold cloth covering only his shoulders.

"The Belle-Vier family is in danger." She didn't bother to sound any less straightforward. "We're here to protect them."

The guard barely reacted, raising only a lazy eyebrow. "Look, girl. We've had dozens of people use this excuse to get into the palace. It's never worked, and it never will. That bow on your back's not fooling anyo—"

He paused as Quinn handed him Brekin's note, glancing up her suspiciously. Then he unfolded it, and his mouth dropped into a gape.

"I'll tell you this one more time," she asserted, talking slow and seriously. "There's an insanely powerful bastard running around, killing this continent's royals. This group here? We've traveled all the way from Greyhaven to stop him. We're your best chance of keeping them safe."

The guard swallowed, eyes glazing over them slowly. He held a shaky hand towards another entrance.

"The quickest way to the throne room is through the north entrance—it leads to the common grounds, then the main building. Show the guards that note and they'll escort you."

Quinn thanked him, quickly swerving where he pointed. Trelisti sped up to reach her.

"I already scouted the exterior, just in case this goes wrong," he told her. "Guards around the courtyard and windows, probably more inside. The building has a few stories and an open roof."

Quinn nodded, grateful. She hated fighting in a place she didn't recognize, especially ones with lots of doors and bystanders. The more people there were, the more possible casualties. She wondered if there was any way to prevent everyone from being hurt.

The door was old and oaken, with a hinged knocker that looped through a bronze amaryllis. Guards stood on either side, a tan, dark-haired woman and a man with warm auburn hair. The man held up a hand and stopped them.

"What's this?" he asked as Quinn handed him the paper. He flipped it over, seeing the tree symbol of Septia, and unfolded the card quickly.

"The Belle-Viers are in danger. We've come to warn them and stop the attacker," Quinn explained. The guard's features creased warily, and he whispered something to his partner. She scampered off, presumably towards the next gate.

"Come with me, quickly," he commanded, pushing open the door. It creaked loudly, and Quinn ached to mute it. Though she knew she didn't need to, she craved to be silent, to keep their presence unknown. It would give them a better advantage against Eithien, anyway.

"The throne room is just this way, past the common grounds and up the stairs," the guard said, holding the door open. Harsh sunlight blinded Quinn, no longer suppressed by the wall's towering form. "We'll have the exits closed off until this matter is resolved."

The common grounds were large, with four triangular patches of grass divided by a brick walkway from each gate. The grass was a vibrant green, so colorful it made her nauseous. Bright red flowers grew in neat rows around the sides of each path.

Guards eyed the group as they walked towards the inner building, some glaring with suspicion, while others held a nervous curiosity. Quinn tried to keep her head straight, but she jumped when she heard another gate open. A guard pushed through the wood, then murmured something to the man keeping watch.

"I'm going to have someone else escort you from here," the man leading them said, knocking on a door to the main building. "It's not too far, just up a few flights of stairs. But I can't leave my post for long."