Sébastien instantly jumped back five feet, angling himself to run if need be, before looking at the interloper warily.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The person stepped out of the shadow. He was tall, with jet-black hair that stood out against his fair face. His amber eyes regarded Sébastien with humor, as if indulging a child. It made Sébastien seethe internally, but he couldn't deny that the man was definitely better than he was.
"I'm a friend," he said, leaning against the tree casually. He looked Sébastien directly in the eyes. "Are we going to continue to stay here? Or are we going to leave before Nathan gets here?"
Sébastien stared at him, flabbergasted. The man hadn't introduced himself or stated his purpose, but HE was the one wasting time? He opened his mouth to say just that, when the man knelt on the ground.
"I, Lyle Teresi, do swear to continue protecting Soteria, as well as Estelle, on behalf of Salana Nicholov until the end of my life."
