“You were gone quite a while.” He closed his book slowly. Dawn was breaking over his shoulder.
“Prince Baldair is dead.”
Taavin observed her, saying nothing. He didn’t even move. Vi wondered if he was judging her for what she confessed to the prince and Raylynn. She wouldn’t be surprised if somehow he knew what had transpired.
“Is he?”
“Yes.” Vi closed the distance and determinedly wedged herself between Taavin and the window. His arm wrapped around her. His embrace was the one thing that could keep her together. “Well, I don’t think he’s dead yet, but he will be very soon.”
Taavin was quiet for a long moment. Vi met his eyes in the reflection of the window. “Will we be searching for the axe today?”
“I don’t think so. The death of the youngest prince will be the catalyst. All of this is going to come to an end very soon.”
“You think so?”
Vi nodded. “If Vhalla has the axe, I think she might seek out the Caverns on her own to try to find some cure for him, or a way to cheat death.”
“Ah, cheating death—you get it from your mother.”
“Not funny,” Vi said deadpan.
“Forgive me.” He kissed her neck lightly and Vi wriggled closer to him.
“Let’s just… wait here for a while and see what happens? I’m tired, and just want to exist quietly for a while.”
“Certainly.”
At some point, she fell asleep in his arms. Around her, the day began like any other. Guards showed up for work, servants cleaned the halls, and the Tower initiates went in and out of their library, looking oddly at the anonymous couple in the corner.
Once more, time drifted around them and they remained untouched. Vi didn’t feel the turning of the hours. She didn’t feel hunger gnawing at her or exhaustion pricking her eyes. Taavin’s arms were stasis. They were the strength she needed to stand when the moment came.
And it came in the form of two familiar voices.
“… if there’s one thing Elecia would hate more, it would be being someone else’s puppet.”
Aldrik and Vhalla sprinted by the library opening. The man was half dragging her, leaving Vhalla to take two steps for every one of his long strides. Without needing to be asked, Taavin stood and extended his hand to Vi.
“What will your father…” Vhalla’s voice faded away as they continued racing up the tower.
“Shall we?” Taavin asked, almost thoughtfully.
“Fate won’t let us linger much longer.Durroe watt radia.”
Taavin echoed her and they sprinted behind the prince and the Windwalker. Vi and Taavin passed the Minister’s office in time to see the lone uppermost door in the Tower closing.
“I gave him that key,” Vi whispered.
“What?”
“Years ago… that was the room I was in when I first came to the Tower. Aldrik was just a boy. The night I left, I gave him the key.”
Taavin was silent for a long moment. Then, he whispered with fragile optimism, “Perhaps this is all how it was meant to be. Perhaps this really is the time we will succeed.”
“Let’s hope.”
Aldrik stepped out into the hall once more and began to stride down and away. Vi heard the click of the lock engage behind him. He was trying to protect Vhalla from his father? Had she overheard their conversation correctly?
“Let’s get a head start. They’ll go to the Caverns tonight. I know they will.”
