“Impossible. You’d have to be at least thirty—forty, even. You don’t look a day past eighteen.”
“I’ve been eighteen a long time.” Vi sighed heavily. Her body would be the one thing she would be ready to give back to the goddess when the time came. She’d mourn the loss of her mind and its thoughts—its memories—but her corporeal form was tired of feeling very old and very young all at once. “I’ve come from a world away, on a mission to save this one.”
Baldair looked at her in a fevered haze. Vi would be shocked if he remembered any of this come morning. But Raylynn’s expression was completely believing. The woman had her mother’s eyes and intuition.
“You brought us here for a reason, to tell us the flame of Baldair’s life will be extinguished?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t fully know myself.” Vi shook her head. “Perhaps because I felt I owed this to you after meddling in your lives for so long.”
“Nox?” Baldair whispered.
“That is one of my names, yes.” Vi smiled tenderly at him. “I wanted you to know that I’m sorry. If I could save you, Baldair… Raylynn, if I could’ve saved your mother, or Fiera, I would have. It wasn’t for lack of trying. But the goddess will have her due and—”
“Enough,” Raylynn said faintly. She gave Vi a tired smile. “I’m not afraid of death, Nox. And I’m not afraid of giving myself to the Mother.”
Vi focused on Raylynn. “Baldair will not survive this. In some ways, that might be a blessing. If the future remains unchanged—” which was a bigger “if” than any of them could know “—there is a storm coming that will claim the lives of many in this city. Even if I saved Baldair now, I’m certain he would be taken then. Fate would catch up with him in more brutal ways each time his life was stolen from it. But ifyouwere to leave—”
“No.”
“But you could—”
“I will stay by his side to the end.” Raylynn met Baldair’s gaze. The prince’s ocean-blue eyes were filled with tears. “On my terms,” she added.
But what Vi heard was,I love you.
“If you stay here much longer, you might not survive.” Vi didn’t know how she could make the woman understand that while Baldair’s life would come to an end regardless, hers wasn’t conscripted by fate.
“Death comes for us all.”
The expression knocked the wind from Vi. She remembered Taavin’s words and how ready he was to give himself over to fate. Before her were two people who had accepted much the same.
“It was fun while it lasted,” Baldair said to the woman gently caressing him.
“It was,” Raylynn agreed.
Vi stood wordlessly, excusing herself from the room. She gave the lovers space until dawn, waiting in the main room of the royal apartment. A new cleric arrived shortly after and Raylynn left with Vi.
They departed the Imperial wing of the palace together, stopping at an intersection in the servants’ halls. Raylynn paused, and Vi stood silently beside her.
“Thank you,” Raylynn said finally.
“You have nothing to thank me for.”Not yet, at least.
A tired smile crossed her lips. “Then why do I have the distinct feeling I have quite a lot to thank you for?” Vi’s lips parted. Raylynn held out her hand. “So, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she managed to squeak out. Vi’s fingers closed around hers and they clasped palms tightly.
With that, the golden-haired swordswoman departed in the opposite direction, as though this was the moment their fates diverged. Vi watched her go. Vilether go.
Silent tears streamed down her face and fell to the floor in heavy drops. Vi fled to a quiet room where she could mourn alone. She wept for all the hardship and hurt, for everyone she’d lost all over again, and for the family she’d never known.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Vi staggered backto the Tower library. She impressed herself that she managed to change into black robes lifted from a storeroom along the way. Sure enough, Taavin was there, waiting on a window seat, reading, and looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
