Every time she reached for the explanation she knew existed, the words evaporated like morning dew.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Consciousness had fadedin and out over the past few weeks. She would go to sleep somewhere, and wake up somewhere else. Her movements were sometimes jerky and sometimes fluid. Vi could feel the goddess settling in, as gracefully as trying to squeeze into a too-tight pair of trousers. Except, the trousers were her skin.
But mortal bodies and mortal minds were surprisingly flexible things… or at least, they could be when prodded enough. The transition wasn’t easy, but Vi’s awareness slowly returned with consistency, and she started to remember more hours than she forgot. For as much as Yargen wanted to be fully in control, they were still missing a piece of the goddess’s essence. Thus, for now, the goddess had to continue to work with Vi, making her will known with whispers or outright commands.
Vi stood at the top of the palace, watching the battle for the future of the Dark Isle unfold. How she’d made it back to Solarin and sneaked past Victor’s barriers in the city was unknown to her. Aldrik and Vhalla had ridden into the city with an army from the West, North, and East. Vi didn’t move from her spot the entire first day of the battle. The second day of fighting dawned and Vi saw the tides of war already shifting in their favor.
It wouldn’t be long now.
She twisted the watch that bore the sun and wing around her neck, staring out the window. This was not her watch. The watch Vi had carried had been smooth and unblemished. That watch had carried something important to her…
… something…
What it was eluded her now.
She’d last seen the watch she now wore on Vhalla’s neck, when they were leaving the North after the end of the war. How it had jumped from Vhalla’s person to hers was a mystery lost in the darkness of that last, long night in the Crossroads. It was a mystery Vi didn’t try to remember. Yargen assured her it was better not to think about it. And, frankly, it seemed so insignificant in the face of all the horrible things she’d seen and let transpire over the years.
Day by day, her emotions became more muted. Perhaps it was survival, since she was now sharing a palace with the mortal lunatic, Victor, who was becoming more and more twisted by the powers his body was not meant to house. Raspian was chewing up Victor alive, savoring each bite of the mortal man.
Or perhaps she was unfazed by the horrors, and the human part of her had left entirely with Taavin. All that remained was the Champion, a vessel waiting to become the goddess.
Taavin. The name had her eyes fluttering closed as she allowed the memory of his hands to touch her all over. It was because of him that she was still here.
She’d told him she would see Victor ended before heading to Salvidia. She would look after Vhalla Yarl. Had it been a vow to him or herself? Had it been a vow at all?
Vi couldn’t remember anymore. It didn’t really matter. She was here, now, and Victor would be dead soon. A few days more in the grand plan didn’t make much of a difference.
Reaching into her pocket, Vi retrieved an earring and uttered, “Narro hath.”
The connection stretched out into the ether. Vi watched the circling rune as she waited in silence. There was a long pause before Adela’s voice was heard reverberating toward her, as if the woman stood on the other side of a long cave.
“I was beginning to think you’d died.”
“I am beyond death.”
A noise somewhere between a chuckle of amusement and a sigh reverberated through to her. “Always the odd one… I assume this is the moment where you call on me?”
“Yes. You will go to Risen and collect Deneya—my companion that you dropped there about a year ago. She’ll be waiting to meet your men to the south of the city. Then you will come to Oparium, where I will meet your men in the Cock and Crow. Finally, we will head to Salvidia so that I might put an end to this vortex.”
“Fine, fine.” Adela dismissed matters of the world’s fate with a yawn. “This will use up your remaining trips. You won’t have a way to get back from Salvidia.”
“That’s acceptable.”
“Is it? I hear the elfin’ra are thrilled for fresh meat since their barrier fell. Can’t imagine what they’d do to the Champion of—”
“That’s for me to worry about, not you,” Vi interrupted.
“Very well.” Adela made a clear effort to sound both tired and bored of the situation. “I will head to Risen and then meet you in Oparium.”
Vi dropped the communication glyph and the connection fizzled. She returned the hoop to her pocket and brought her attention back to the fighting far below. Howling wind slammed against the castle’s main entry, battering the heavy doors. Vhalla was there, assaulting it with her gusts.
“Rhoko,” Vi murmured and watched the crystals Victor had caked the doors with shatter. “You’ll need your strength, Vhalla Yarl. Save it for the real battle.”
As the army poured into the castle, Vi descended to meet it.
On her path through the various hallways, she unlocked every door that was barred. With waves of her hands, she sent Victor’s imitation crystals scattering, though more were likely to grow. Raspian’s power radiated from Victor’s body, condensing in the halls he frequented.
