Page 49 of A Soul to Guide

“There are two gates. The first is always open unless there is an invasion. The second is always closed. The Anzúli you speak of don’t allow outsiders to enter their temples.”

He finally pronounced their name correctly, probably because she’d said it several times over the past few days.

The boom of his fist on the gate was so loud, she was certain everyone within a mile radius would have heard it. There was a tinyshink, as if someone unlatched a lock, before a quiet squeak.

It was clear the gate hadn’t been opened, but rather a small peephole instead.

“Yes, hello,” a man coldly greeted, his voice raspy, as though he’d been half asleep. “How may we assist...”

Trailing off, he cleared his throat, as if it suddenly had become dry.

“Allow us inside,” Merikh demanded, his tone forceful and refusing denial.

Raewyn didn’t like the silence that followed. The man shuffled his feet on the other side of the gate, as if he was unsure of how to respond. He cleared his throat again.

“I’m sorry,sir, but we don’t allow outsiders within our temples. If you require assistance, we are more than happy–”

Merikh shoved Raewyn’s hand away from the rope coil around his waist, and a resonatingboomexploded, like he’d slammed his entire forearms against the gate. His claws scraped against the timber.

“I know you canseewhat I am,” Merikh growled. “I have a female here who needs to speak to your people, and you will allow us inside.”

Raewyn’s ears flattened against the sides of her head.The glamour doesn’t work on them.It only tricked the humans.

She tried to push Merikh out of the way, who didn’t budge an inch for her, so she wedged herself between him and the gate peephole.

She didn’t care if she angered or annoyed him, or if she got hurt in the process of shoving him. He was messing this up!

At this rate, they’d never get permission to enter.

Merikh growled as the Elf shoved herself in front of him.

He had this sorted, so he saw no reason for her to intervene.

“Please,” Raewyn begged, as she patted for the hole with her fingertips. When she found it, she pulled her hood back and lowered her blindfold, revealing her eyes, her brows, and her pointed ears. “I’m an Elysian, and I seek your help to get home.”

He expected the man, who had a white clay mask covering his face with a red stripe going down the very centre, to immediately reject her. Instead, he gasped and stumbled back, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Then he bounced forward and reached his arm through the small square hole to cup the side of her face. That was dangerous, as Merikh could easily snap his arm in half with the window’s frame.

He considered it.

“By the gods... how did you get here?” he asked in awe.

Merikh didn’t know why, but the way Raewyn leaned into his touch trustingly grated on his nerves. She bent forward as she curled her fingers around the bottom of the peephole to be closer to the man.

“I accidentally opened a chaos portal to Earth. I’ve been stranded here for over a month and a half, and Idesperatelywant to go home. Please allow us inside.”

The man’s clay mask turned to look up Merikh’s bony snout through the eye holes’ mesh, seeing him for what he was, before directing the mask back to Raewyn.

“You will always be welcome inside our temples,” the man stated warmly. Then his voice turned frigid as he said, “Buthemust remain outside.”

The laugh Merikh released was filled with malice.

“She is not leaving my side. Either we both may enter, or neither of us will.”

Raewyn turned to him with her mouth open, as though to refute him, but then she wisely shut it. He’d already made it clear he wouldn’t accept her fleeing from him, leaving him behind, or betraying him.

She bit at her bottom lip, her brows knitting deeply. Then her head bowed downward in defeat before she turned to the man.

---