Vhalla stared in a stunned silence. Rat and Mole, Aldrik had killed them. She remembered the face of the Northerner melting off, but found her stomach strangely calm.
When her stomach finally churned it was not over the idea of their deaths but the likely reasoning behind it. Regardless of what people believed about him, Aldrik would not kill without cause; Vhalla wouldn’t believe anything else about him. There was only one reason she could think of.
“Did you really make that wind storm?” Daniel asked, drawing her from her reeling thoughts.
“I-I’m not sure,” she replied, uncertain of the look on his face.
“It was huge!” Daniel’s eyes grew large. She felt uneasy; was he friend or foe?
“You are not supposed to sound excited.” Craig thumped his partner’s head with a fist.
“If she did, that’d make her a Windwalker. You don’t understand what that means.” Daniel rubbed the crown of his head with a grin.
Vhalla moved a little closer to the bars.
“You read too many books.” Craig rolled his eyes.
“And you don’t read any books at all!” Daniel laughed. “You know about Windwalkers?” Vhalla asked timidly.
“Not until recently,” Daniel confessed, turning back to her.
“Not until last night you mean.” Craig shook his head. “He gets assigned here and tries to become an expert on magic overnight.”
“At least I’ve an interest.” Daniel shrugged.
Vhalla stared at them uncertainly. The door at the end of the hallway opened, and her mind was instantly racing with panic at the footsteps. Both guards snapped to attention.
“Senator,” Daniel saluted. Craig stayed silent but mirrored Daniel’s motions. Vhalla glared at Egmun. She could feel every last bruise as his eyes took a leisurely assessment of her body.
“Where are her assigned guards?” Egmun asked.
“We are her assigned guards, sir.” Both Craig and Daniel held their salutes.
Egmun rubbed his temples with a sigh. “I realize that their standards for guards are astoundingly low, but I would have hoped you could read your assignments.”
The two men exchanged a look. “This is our assignment, sir,” Daniel said with confidence.
Vhalla’s mouth curled into a smirk at the confused and enraged expression crossing Egmun’s face.
“Where are Salvis and Wer?” the Senator demanded. Vhalla tried to guess who Mole was.
“They’re dead, sir,” Daniel answered.
Egmun lost his composure to his surprise for a brief second, and Vhalla wanted to cackle.
“Dead?” he repeated.
“Parrot,” Vhalla mumbled under her breath.
“How?” Egmun’s teeth were grinding.
“They were found stealing from the bond payment chest,” Craig jumped in. “Imperial Justice.”
Egmun paused and laughed.
“It would be, wouldn’t it?” His eyes fell on Vhalla and she was happy to have the bars keeping him out. “It would be...” He chuckled and turned. “Her trial starts soon. Make sure she’s on time.” Egmun clicked away down the hall, his emerald robes swishing about him.
Vhalla let out her breath.
