Zen adjusted the dark cuffs of his jacket and turned to face the three women standing in the center of the penthouse living room.
"Are we ready?" he asked.
Maya rubbed her trembling hands together, looking down at her boots. "Not exactly."
Nyx and Valeria answered at the exact same time. "Yes."
Valeria crossed her arms beneath her breasts in a way that pushed them up, her red eyes narrowing as she glared at Maya. "Why did we even bring her? This is a diplomatic and highly dangerous trip to the Crown Domain. She is complete dead weight. We could just leave her behind here."
"I... I can be helpful," Maya stammered, shrinking back slightly from the Vanguard's intense killing intent.
"Helpful?" Valeria scoffed loudly, stepping closer to the terrified healer. "You can barely handle the ambient mana in this room. You are going to embarrass him in front of the Empress. Zen, we should have shoved her on a high-speed train back to the academy where she belongs."
