Sitara, dressed in an elegant midnight-blue silk gown and matching cloak, stepped through the brightly lit outer gate of the Port Spoke of the inner city wall. She blended in with the dozens of other party-goers passing in both directions around her and no one paid her any heed.

She descended the wide boulevard into the upper city for a quarter mile before slipping into a darkened alley near a richly furnished stable. As she stepped into the shadows, she opened herself to the power of the night. Darkness eagerly crawled into her and clung to her innards, filling her with power and revulsion in equal measure.

Sitara focused a bit of that power into her eyes, and the dim world previously concealed by the cloak of night clarified. Usually she would have preferred a torch or any natural, clean light. Her tainted power penetrated the darkness farther, but tinted things a slight shade of crimson, as if everything she looked at was on the verge of bleeding.

She took a deep breath and forced calm over herself. She double-checked her mental shields, then strode down the alley with more confidence than she felt.

As she neared the far end of the building, a man-sized, hooded shape separated itself from the other shadows and moved to intercept her. Sitara's heart quickened in fear, despite her efforts to maintain calm.

She braced herself against an expected attack, but felt no more than a whisper of contact. Instantly she altered the angles of her shield.

Instead of attacking, the dark figure brushed back his hood to reveal dark hair and eyes covered in roiling blackness that shamed the other shadows.

Tanathos made a short, mocking bow. "Greetings, sister of the true blood."

Sitara shuddered at the oddly intimate greeting. She still struggled with the fact that her master agreed to ally even superficially with this creature. His presence radiated pure evil, and a primal instinct deep inside her soul urged her to attack and not relent until one of them lay dead.

His death will serve a purpose, she reminded herself.

Masego's plan had better work. If only she could watch as Harafin destroyed this arrogant, disgusting creature. That his death would help shield their escape with the prize motivated her to keep her peace.

"We don't have much time," she said. "You know what must be done. Do it."

Tanathos' lip curled back in a silent snarl and he stepped closer. She forced herself not to shrink back from his presence, but clenched the fabric of her gown tight in one fist. It helped relieve a little of the tension that threatened to snap her resolve.

"You fear me, girl. A hint of wisdom in one so young."

His condescension reminded her of Masego, and anger burned away some of the fear. She leaned just a hair closer to him. "Don't try my patience or my Master will need to find another pet Shadeleech to do his bidding."

Tanathos raised a hand and it burst into red fire.

"Put that out, fool," Sitara hissed.

Her throat felt drier than ash and she struggled to keep her breathing normal. Pushing him was insane, but allowing him to believe she feared him would be suicidal. She tensed behind her mental shields and prepared a counterstrike should he try to hit her.

Tanathos dropped his fist and the crimson flames snuffed out. He took a step back, a twisted smile on his lips. "Your spirit is strong. It will feed me well."

"I'm going to wait in the street," Sitara said. "Be quick. Tell yourself you're tough as many times as you need to believe it. When you're done, purge your powers and join me. We don't have much time."

She forced herself to turn her back on him and walk slowly toward the street. At every step, she expected a brutal attack and wanted to scream from the tension that knotted her insides. It seemed to take forever to reach the corner at the front of the building.

There she sank onto a metal bench and clasped her shaking hands in her lap. She breathed deep and wiped her suddenly sweating brow.

All too soon Tanathos joined her. He now wore a wide-brimmed hat that cast a deep shadow over his eyes. He dressed in black trousers and shirt with a crimson vest, covered in a dark cloak. Not exactly high fashion, but not so unusual as to draw the guards' attention.

Sitara rose from her seat. "You're purged?"

He gave her a quick, jerky nod.

"Good. Stay close or I won't be able to shield you from the Sentinels posted at the gate."

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Tanathos moved close beside her and slipped an arm around her waist. She had to bite down hard on her lip to keep from squealing and fleeing his touch.

"You're too close."

Tanathos chuckled. "You fear my touch?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I might be recognized, and if we look like a couple, it could draw unnecessary questions."

Tanathos removed his hand and withdrew a single step. Sitara quickened her pace. The sooner she accomplished this mission, the better.

They climbed the slope of the upper city and passed through the open outer gates into the long tunnel that bore through the enormous inner-city wall. The air was surprisingly chill, and the passage echoed loudly with the many footsteps on the hard stone road.

Sitara purged the clinging filth of her dark power, despite the stark terror she felt standing so close to the Shadeleech. If she waited any longer, that dark power would trigger the guardian wards placed at the entrances. Despite that danger, she couldn't have left herself powerless had she not known Tanathos had purged his Sthenic magic too.

A squad of soldiers was stationed at the far end of the tunnel, along with a pair of Fire Stalwarts and a pair of Kestrels. The group inspected everyone entering the inner city.

No long weapons were allowed, so the guards collected and catalogued every sword, long-knife, and even staves. They handed the owners a receipt to allow them to collect the weapons on their way out.

Tanathos dragged Sitara to a stop. "How do we pass?"

"We wait."

"For what?"

"You'll see." It might be petty, but she savored the little bit of power her knowledge granted her over him.

He was very much at her mercy right now. If only she dared the wrath of her master enough to reveal him to the Sentinels.

"Don't play games with me," Tanathos snarled.

Sitara leaned against the tunnel wall and watched people pass by. She glanced at Tanathos. "The game is not mine. We both dance to my master's tune."

"He is not my master."

"You're here at his bidding, protected by his will and pleasure, are you not?"

Tanathos said nothing, and leaned against the wall beside her. "How long do we wait?"

The sound of many footsteps marching in cadence drew Sitara's gaze to the outer gate. "The wait is over."

Approaching at a steady march came a large party surrounded by the shimmering silver haze of a Sentinel shield. Within the shield, half a dozen guards flanked an enclosed palanquin carried by eight burly men.

As the last pair of guards marched past, Sitara gestured to Tanathos and jogged after the entourage. The rear quarter of the shield flickered and disappeared. The last two guards parted without looking back at Sitara.

She slipped between them and moved forward until she walked just behind the litter-bearers, with Tanathos on her heels. As soon as they passed, the rear guard closed ranks behind them and the shield flowed back down over the entire party.

Tanathos focused on the palanquin in front of them, his expression neutral. Despite her loathing of him, his outward calm impressed her. Could she walk so calmly into the heart of a Shadeleech fortress, completely cut off from her powers?

Hopefully he thought she'd help plan everything. In fact, she barely concealed her own amazement. Everything was falling into place exactly as Remiel had predicted.

How could Masego arrange this? How could the Sentinel shielding this party be in league with him? She wished she knew their name or could at least see their face. She longed to know other secret revolutionaries. The very fact that she walked within a few feet of one encouraged her.

Was the noble involved, or ignorant of the deception being played out right behind them? If Masego could arrange so much so quickly, with help from those placed so high, what else might he be capable of?

That worried her. She needed more information to plan her coup. Let Masego orchestrate the downfall of the current, corrupt regime, but she couldn't let him consolidate power. She needed to build her own forces.

The company passed through the inner gate and paused at the command of the gate company captain.

"What's all this, then?" the captain asked.

One of the Sentinels on duty moved to stand beside the captain. "Lower your shield and be inspected."

Sitara bit her lip. This was not part of the plan. If they lowered the shield, the Sentinels would surely sense Tanathos. Even purged of his powers, he was so steeped in Sthenic energy that some residue would surely trigger the guardian spells.

The front of the shield flickered briefly and a richly dressed servant stepped through to face the captain. The shield solidified behind him. He held out a sealed parchment to the captain.

"We are authorized to pass, Captain. High Lady Damarist is worried about assassins who might be out and about tonight and received permission to maintain an active shield to and from the Great Dome."

"I assure you, we are safe here," the captain started.

"Be that as it may, Captain. The High Lady made her decision and her party was vetted before leaving her mansion." He extended the parchment again. "Let us pass."

The captain broke the seal and read the parchment. He frowned but stepped aside and waved them through.

Sitara fell into step with the others, but her mind raced. High Lady Damarist? Could the ambassador's wife really be knowingly helping Masego? Could his influence extend so far?

After the group passed the Sentinel Tower, the rear of the shield flickered and disappeared. The rear guard parted again, and Sitara drew Tanathos out of the protecting circle.

She struggled to open the channel to her own Actinopathic gift. It came after a terrifying pause, a weak shadow of its normal strength. The revolution could not come too soon.

The Sentinels had managed to nearly block her completely from her gift. That, more than any other fact, confirmed the need to throw down their rule.

Sitara wrapped an invisible shield around the two of them and led Tanathos southwest, behind the Sentinel Tower, toward the dark, outer edge of the plateau. As they passed the white tower, Tanathos growled low in his throat.

Sitara reached out with a whisper of thought and probed his unprotected mind.

He snarled and grabbed her cloak. "Keep your thoughts out of my head or I'll rip your throat out right here."

Sitara forced herself to stare into the roiling blackness covering his eyes under his wide-brimmed hat. "To kill you, all I need to do is drop my shield. Are you prepared to die?"

Tanathos released her, and she saw the first flicker of real fear on his face. The sight bolstered her confidence. Even Tanathos could feel fear. He could die just like any other man.

Silently they circumvented a long, low cedar hedge and approached a squat stone building set apart in an open courtyard. Inside, it held only a set of simple stone stairs descending into darkness.

"The catacombs," Sitara said, and led him down.