Zira lay dead on the ground in a pool of her own blood.
Vi was transfixed by the body, bile rising in back of her throat. It wasn’t for the gruesome way in which she’d died. But for what it meant.
Yargen will come for her life.
You can’t save everyone.
Some things are meant to happen.
Every terrible phrase Taavin had uttered in caution seemed to echo up through Zira’s gaping mouth. The woman’s wide eyes judged every inch of Vi for not heeding them.
The floorboards slammed into her knees as Vi collapsed. Her shoulders hunched and she dug her nails into the wood, feeling it splinter beneath her nailbeds. She exhaled ragged breaths, somewhere between tears and screams.
Chapter Twenty-Six
She had to move.
She had to pry herself off this hard floor and keep moving. The Knights were likely to investigate, especially when the sword was delivered short of one of their own and one of Adela’s men. But Vi was still barely managing to breathe. Her thoughts were jumbled.
“Narro hath hoolo.” The moment Taavin’s shoes blinked into existence, Vi blurted, “I messed up. I should’ve listened to you, to my father. I messed up.”
His knee met the ground before her, his knuckles hooked her chin, and Taavin slowly raised her face to his. “Tell me how this happened.”
It was a soft command, but a command nonetheless—as if he somehow knew that she needed his tenderness, but she also needed orders. They might be the only thing that kept her moving through the shakes that were still trying to take control of her limbs.
“Zira, she came back, the Knights, Adela’s men—” Vi stopped herself short, her eyes following Taavin’s to the dead body in the room. She restarted, “The letter was from Zira. I came here and met her. She’d learned of the Knights’ plot involving Adela and came back to warn me—for Fiera’s sake. She brought the sword with her.
“I told her to leave… but I was too late. I don’t know if the Knights followed me, or if they’d intercepted the letter and read it. For all I know, one of Adela’s men was the courier who delivered it—she seems to be good at using letters to her benefit.
“But by the time I realized, it was too late.”
“They killed Zira and took the sword,” he finished what she couldn’t say.
“Yes… There was a morphi who flew away—a crow. I’m sure they’ll bring it back to wherever the Knights are waiting and Adela will have her rubies and they’ll have the sword. Assuming she doesn’t just take it for herself.”
Taavin shook his head. He turned away from Zira, stood, paced to one end of the small room and back. He shook his head again, and again before grabbing it and letting out a groan as if he were in pain. “I thought… I really thought this was it. I let myself believe.”
“I can get it back,” Vi said, stronger than she’d felt in the past hour. Something about seeing him hurting, in pain, and doubting her brought her strength and conviction rushing back. He needed her to be strong and keep herself together. She was the one who could act and change fate. Vi stood. “Iwillget it back. I know their plan and I know where they’re going. I heard them talking about taking the sword to the Crystal Caverns at their meeting. Do you think Adela will help them further?”
Taavin, unresponsive, stared at Zira’s cooling body. Vi knelt down and gently pressed the woman’s eyelids closed. His gaze didn’t waver, and Vi wrapped one arm around his waist, guiding his eyes to her.
“I cannot imagine what you’ve seen. I know this is likely one more body on the pile,” Vi whispered. “But I need your help now. I need you to stay with me and help me fix this.” He finally nodded, clarity returning to his eyes. They were both on the cusp of falling apart, barely held together by each other. “In any of my past times, did Adela help the Knights of Jadar after they got the sword?”
Taavin pulled away and held out his hands. He mumbled words of Yargen and power flowed from her watch. Vi waited as he finished culling through all of his memories.
“They maintain a relationship with her, but they’ve usually only had one transaction at a time, then a longer stretch of time before the next.”
“She’s no doubt too expensive for them.” Vi thought about how hard Twintle had to work to salvage enough rubies to buy just a few of Adela’s crew. She looked at the blood-soaked floor again and hated that working with Adela had been a good investment for them. “It’s just the Knights and me. I’ll ride off and intercept them before they get to the Caverns.”
“If you can find them.”
“Good point.” The Waste was large and it seemed unlikely she’d know the exact path they’d be traveling. “Then I’ll go on ahead, and meet them at the Caverns. I’ll stop them from turning Yargen’s magic against itself.”
She started for the door, but was stopped by two arms wrapping around her waist. Taavin squeezed her tightly from behind. Always at her back, always defending and supporting.
“You know just when my bones are rattling,” she whispered. “And right when I need you to make sure none pop out of place.”
“I know you,” Taavin whispered back. “Good luck protecting our world.”
