“Yes, thank you.” Deneya started for the door. “I’ll be sure to let Twintle know that he has cleared inspection and remains in good standing with the crown.” They emerged back into the sunlight. “You two have a lovely day.”
Vi gave a wave, hastening beside Deneya before there were any further exchanges.
“Find anything?” Deneya asked when they were out of earshot and halfway to the next warehouse. They had three to go to ensure the surprise inspections couldn’t be questioned.
“Two things, actually.”
“Oh? Do tell,” she asked eagerly.
“The first is that he has chests of Western rubies.”
“How many?”
“I counted at least eight.”
Deneya hummed. “That should be past the legal limit. King Rocham imposed mining sanctions on the stones about two decades ago. Though, knowing Twintle, he’d argue that it was a law made by an old king and is currently unclear under Imperial law.”
“So not illegal, and not inherently nefarious?”
“Not nefarious, though suspicious… Good Western rubies fetch prices that can make your head spin. The reason Rocham banned them was because of an attack by Adela on a mine not far from the coast at the southern border. Combined with the difficulties surrounding their mining.”
“I see,” Vi murmured, eager to change the topic off Adela as quickly as possible. “The guard—Adeem—also told me that Twintle has been hosting gatherings of his ‘suppliers.’”
“Now that sounds interesting.” Deneya stopped walking to give Vi her full attention.
“It was. Men and women apparently coming and going in red hoods. Hiding their faces. Keeping others out at all costs.” Vi glanced back at the warehouse. “I think we might have discovered the Knights of Jadar’s new meeting spot and, even better, I think I know when the next meeting is.”
And that meant the next time all the Knights were gathered, she would be ready to strike.
Chapter Nineteen
Twintle was gonefor about two months. His absence forced Vi to be patient, and to sit with her decision to take an active position against the Knights. The time also gave her ample evenings to continue working with the Sword of Jadar.
After Raylynn questioned if Vi could make the girl her own crystal weapon, Vi was no longer practicing with it as she would any other sword. Now, she focused on the magic, imagining it brightening and changing underneath her fingertips as it had with the ancient Champion.
The sword was suspended between Vi’s knees as she slowly pushed and pulled at the magic that surrounded it. The magic was becoming a tangible thing, like a taffy that oozed between her fingers if she tried to hold onto it for too long, but solid enough for her to get good draws against it. She could sit for hours, moving it between her hands. Each time she turned it over she felt something new and different, as if a distant corner of her soul was ignited by it.
“As fascinating as it is to watch,” Taavin said from where he sat across from her, “I’m still not sure what you’re trying to accomplish.”
“That makes two of us,” Vi murmured, holding her focus. She’d made a cage of her fingers, the air within shimmering. “But you said I’ve not tried to manipulate Yargen’s magic or the crystals the ninety-two other times. So why—” Vi glanced at him and her concentration was broken. The magic snapped back into the sword with a palpablecrack. Vi sighed. “Why not be rebels and explore this as a possible tool to help us end this cycle?”
“The way we end this cycle is by making sure nothing happens to that sword and, sooner over later, getting it as far as possible from this city.” He stared at her for a long minute, shook his head, and proceeded to become fascinated with a corner of the room. Vi hated how even when she was frustrated with him, the angular lines of his heartbreakingly beautiful profile softened her. She returned her attention to the weapon.
“I think I can do it, because I think I’ve made crystals before,” Vi confessed.
“What?”
“It was when we were on Meru. When I crossed the shift to enter the Twilight Kingdom.”
“You told me nothing of crystals then.”
“I had a lot on my mind.” Twist, pull, hold. Vi wrangled the magic like her memories. “I was more focused on keeping you alive and saving my father than anything else. There were those tears in the shift, formed by the red lightning. When I passed through on my own for the first time, the magic in the watch protected me.”
“You mentioned that. How do crystals come into play?”
“Well, when the magic emerged from the watch, there was shimmering blue. It condensed and hardened around my feet. It protected me. When I made it through to the Twilight Kingdom, tiny shards of obsidian surrounded me. The shards looked identical to dormant crystal.”
“I see…”
