When Eliora and Maelina finished bathing, they walked back to their tents.
Eliora adjusted her veil once more before stepping toward her tent.
She lifted the flap and froze.
Inside, the old man stood, the owner of Elam Hills, and he was not alone.
Two of the cheetah beasts from earlier stood behind him, heads bowed respectfully. The old man himself was bowing deeply to Zarek. But Eliora could see how frightened they were because they were shaking.
Zarek, however, stood calm and unmoved with his hands behind his back.
As she got closer, they all turned to bow to her as well.
"Queen of Beasts," they echoed reverently.
Eliora blinked.
Her first instinct was to deny it, to say they were mistaken, but something in the air told her that would be foolish. So she didn't reject it.
"How do you know who I am?" she asked.
Master Elam lifted his head slightly.
