“The bastard betrayed us!” Arwin’s scream cut through the night. “Vi—”
Vi bolted upright, grabbing for the scythe. But Arwin had been right—she couldn’t get it unwrapped fast enough. The curtain to the tiny cabin was pulled open with such aggression that it ripped clean off its pegs. Vi stared in confusion, her mind struggling to process the face that looked at her. He had a beak-like nose and short cropped back hair pulled tightly against his head.
He wore golden armor, embellished with mother of pearl, and a heavy sword strapped to his hip. The man’s bright blue eyes—almost steel-like in their iciness—peered down at her, shining in the moonlight. A terrible grin spread across his face.
“Aldrik Solaris, Emperor of the Solaris Empire,” he said to her father, and then turned to her. “Vi Solaris, Crown Princess of the Solaris Empire… I hereby place you under arrest by the order of her Holiness, the Goddess Yargen.”
It hit her all at once.
Vi was staring at the face of Ulvarth, Lord of the Swords of Light.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Vi knew what she saw.But it didn’t make any sense.
“You must be Lord Ulvarth,” she said, as if saying the words aloud could remedy the disconnect between the realms of what should be possible and impossible. How in the Mother’s name was Ulvarth staring her down?
“If you know who I am, this should go smoothly.” His voice was a light and airy tenor. The man was clearly so full of his own hot air that she was shocked he didn’t drift away. “I’m willing to grant you both the decency your stations deserve, assuming you grant me the decency of mine and do not resist capture.”
“If you know who we are, you should not be arresting us.” Her father tried to stand. But he was hunched in the small cabin. “Your queen sent for me. We are to discuss how the magicks of Meru could possibly be used to—”
“Iwas the one to send for you,” Ulvarth interrupted. Vi only wished she could be surprised. “And I answer to no queen. I answer to the Goddess.”
Vi balled her hands into fists. The scythe, still wrapped, was locked in her grip. If she swung it hard enough, she could cut straight through the cloth around it. But could a crystal blade cut through metal plate armor?
“What are our charges?” her father asked.
“You,” Ulvarth spoke directly to Aldrik, “are charged with destroying the Goddess’s confinement of Lord Raspian, and unleashing him—and the death and destruction he brings—back into the world.”
“Raspian doesn’t yet have a mortal form. He’s not truly returned,” Vi tried to counter. Even though she well knew that without a mortal form he’d still managed to kill countless people, thanks to the White Death.
Ulvarth turned to her and continued as though she’d said nothing. “And you are charged with kidnapping the Voice.”
“What?” Every word Taavin had ever said about Ulvarth and his wicked nature was turning out to be true—not that Vi had doubted him. “I did no such thing.”
“That will be for the High Counsel of Light to decide. Now, if you please.” He stepped aside with a swing of his arm, as though he was ushering them into a party and not onto the dark deck of a stolen pirate ship.
Vi shared a look with her father, but neither of them seemed to have any better ideas about what to do. So they both emerged from the cabin and onto the deck. Several other knights in heavy plate armor stood in a semi-circle. Vi fantasized briefly about pushing them each over the railing and watching them sink far below the waves, no matter how hard they struggled against the weight of their plate.
“Where’s Taavin?” Vi spun in place, looking Ulvarth in the eye. She was oddly satisfied by the fact that, even in his greaves, he was no taller than her.
With an emotionless expression and movement faster than she would expect of someone wearing such burdensome armor, Ulvarth slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. Vi was sent stumbling. She tasted blood in her mouth and knew from the instant throbbing it would leave a colorful bruise.
“That isthe Voiceto you, Dark Isle dweller.”
“How dare you,” her father snarled, fire crackling up his arm.
“Father, don’t.” Vi clasped her hand over his, extinguishing the flames and straightening. A smirk spread on Ulvarth’s lips.
“Listen to the girl and keep your head about you… or we may just take it early.”
“Where is the Voice?” Vi demanded, drawing up to her full height once more. He could not beat her into silence.
“We’ve already taken him aboardLight’s Victoryso you could not beguile him further.” Ulvarth pointed over her shoulder and Vi dared to turn.
Not far from their own vessel was a large ship. Vi could hear voices drifting over the water and the creaking of its hull against the waves. Those must have been the noises she’d heard when she’d woken.
The whole situation finally began to come into focus.
