“Yes, I think now would be a wonderful time,” Zira said easily, without even missing a beat.
“Excellent.”
They paused at a landing, Zira taking the lead. “If you three will excuse Yullia and me, there’s something I promised to show her in the training ring.”
“Good of you to do so.” Fiera picked up on the ruse. “I appreciate you taking such an active interest in Yullia’s training.”
“I have other matters to attend to as well,” Denja said stiffly, adjusting the scarf around her head. “If you’ll all excuse me.”
“Thank you again for informing me of the incident today,” Tiberus said to the blue-eyed woman. “I appreciate that someone made it a point to notify me of actions taken against my betrothed.”
“Certainly, your grace.” Denja bowed. “I am here to serve.” After taking two steps backward, Denja turned, disappearing down the hall.
Vi bowed as well, Zira mirroring the motion before leading them in the opposite direction as Denja. They rounded down two staircases, to a storeroom attached to an empty training pit. Zira closed the door behind her and settled on one of the room’s many unmarked crates before asking, “You wanted me alone and now you have me. What is it?”
“Denja. How did she know of that room?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think Fiera told her.”
“I don’t think so either.” Vi paced, running her hands along the dusty boxes of training equipment. “Which means she figured it out, interrogated someone else who knows, or followed us.”
“Before today, only Fiera and I knew of it.”
“Not even her siblings? Ophain?”
“If they know, I’m unaware. But I doubt they would’ve spilled the secret just because some random councilor asked.”
Vi stopped pacing. With stilled feet, her mind felt like it could move faster. “How long has Denja been in the employ of the royal family?”
“Right around the time the war began, I believe. I’ve only served our princess for three years, so I can’t say for certain.” Zira pushed herself off the crate. “Long enough that if there was something to worry about when it comes to Denja, they would’ve already found out.”
“Not always,” Vi said softly. “Some betrayals take decades to mature.”Like Jayme. “In the coming months, we must protect the sword at all costs.”
“So you’ve said. What happens if it falls into the wrong hands, as you say?”
“Would you believe me if I said the end of the world?” Vi gave a bitter grin. Zira let out a laugh that told Vi just how seriously she took the warning.
“You really are an odd one.” Shaking her head as the laughter faded, Zira started for the door. But her hand stalled on the handle. She looked back to Vi and—for one brief second—Vi could see the woman taking the words seriously. “We’ll keep it safe.”
“I hope so.”
Zira gave her a nod and left. Vi crossed over to the window that overlooked the empty training field. They would keep it safe this time. She wouldn’t allow the world to repeat itself once more. There wouldn’t be another Vi pulled from her home to be Yargen’s Champion. There wouldn’t be another Taavin to suffer at the hands of fate.
The cyclewouldend. Now that the sword was within her grasp, the real work could begin.
Chapter Eleven
In the dead of night,the halls were empty, and the castle was quiet.
Vi made her way with ease, glyphs wrapped around her wrists. One masked her sounds. But should someone see her, the other gave her the face of a random Imperial guard.
Once in the armory, Vi closed the door behind her, grabbed one of the swords off the racks, and propped it lightly against the handle. There would be no surprise guests this time. She wanted to know the moment someone came in.
Though, hopefully, her paranoia would prove unfounded.
The lock on the door to the sword’s chamber was easy to melt away with her magic. She repeated the same process she had in the Archives to get to Taavin after Ulvarth had locked his door. Vi melted and bent and separated the ring holding the lock in place, rather than destroying the lock itself, and set it aside. That way, she could return it to its previous position.
As a Firebearer, Fiera no doubt knew of this flaw in the protection of the blade. That was why she kept the curtain of flame burning at all times within the hall. But the princess had also said she barely noticed the magic leeching away from her anymore. Vi surmised that if Fiera were asleep, she wouldn’t notice any slight fluctuations in that magic at all.
