Vi was jerked awake with a rough shake of her shoulder. Samri stood at her bedside. “What is it?” Vi came instantly awake, pushing herself away from the nest of pillows.
“We have to go,” Samri whispered hurriedly.
In the lower floor of the manor, Vi heard loud voices. There was a commotion, complete with doors slamming and the rumble of booted feet. It was a wonder she’d slept through it at all.
“What’s happening?”
“There’s no time, please, come with me.” Samri held out a folded cloak. “There’s clothes at the docks. Wear this until you get there.”
Vi stood at the edge of her bed, hurriedly donning the cloak and rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Samri—”
She was cut short by a voice.
“Vi?” Jayme called. There was a knock on the door. “Do you hear the commotion? Should we leave?”
Vi opened the door quickly and motioned to Samri. “Already one step ahead of you.”
“We must go,” Samri whispered, standing at a wall. One of the panels had been opened, a servant’s passage exposed. Vi wasn't even surprised by its presence.
“Should we grab our things?” Jayme asked. She already had her sword strapped to her hip. Vi had the journal of maps and notes on the sea in hand. They’d each gone for their most precious items.
“Samri said there are supplies at the docks,” Vi said as she hurriedly entered the open passage.
“There’s no time,” Samri repeated, practically pleading. “Please, come.”
Samri pulled the door closed behind them and latched it. There was already a candle flickering in a holder on the wall, and Samri slipped her finger through its ring before scuttling ahead. “This way, please.”
Above them, Vi heard voices—men and women with the gruff militaristic tone of soldiers. She heard the words “princess” and “here,” but not enough else to make out much more. Vi frowned; they’d been outed. She was right from the start not to trust the staff. If she’d come out with her name to Erion sooner, perhaps they wouldn’t have even had the six days that passed.
“Miss Yullia?” Samri whispered, barely more than a breath.
“We’re coming,” Jayme answered for both of them, pulling Vi along and saving her from her thoughts.
“Yes, sorry,” Vi breathed back.
The hall finally opened into a dank basement. The light of the candle glistened off the slick sheen of damp on the walls and the slimy grime of the beams supporting the floor over their heads—a floor that rumbled and coughed dust with every heavy footfall.
“Down here.” Samri pointed to a hatch before heaving it open. “Down the ladder—there’s only one path. It’ll take you out to the cliff. Head right and around, then down to the docks. Speak to no one but a man named Marcus at a ship called theDawn Skipper.”
Right. Down. Marcus. Dawn Skipper. Vi repeated the important parts in her mind and then gave a nod. It was easy enough to remember, given Jayme’s personal inquiries had already led them to the vessel once.
“He’ll help you from there.”
“Thank you.” Vi reached out and rested her hand on Samri’s white knuckles where they gripped the top of the hatch.
“It wasn’t me,” she whispered as Jayme started down the ladder. “I wasn’t the one to betray you, princess.”
“I know. I believe you.” Vi nodded and looked down at the ladder in the ominous black hole before her. Crouching, she gripped the top of the ladder and swung her feet down onto the third rung.
“Fiarum Evantes.”Eternal flame, Vi roughly translated the Western phrase. Samri peered over the hatch. Uncle Jax had taught it to her and Vi had been delighted as a child to experiment with the strange words.
“Kotun un Nox,” Vi responded quietly as the hatch closed overhead.Guide us through the night.
She clung to the ladder a moment, her heart racing. It was as if the organ chose now to decide to rush nerves through Vi’s veins. All at once, everything felt real. This was her last chance to back down from her plan. If she pushed forward now, she would find herself on the Crescent Continent with no plan for how to get back.
Vi closed her eyes, though it made no difference in the darkness.
“A little light, Vi?” Jayme whispered up. “So we don’t slip and die on this death ladder.”
