Vi curled and uncurled her fingers over the crystal in her palm, feeling the magic move and stretch. Manipulating Yargen’s power was becoming more and more instinctive by the day. The time she’d spent scouring the Tower and Imperial libraries for information on crystals, however little there was, seemed to help. It took a lot of reading between the lines, but there was knowledge there that enhanced her nightly practice.
“What if—” A knock on the door interrupted the thought, saving Vi from herself. It was three fast raps, followed by two slower ones. Vi opened the door to an illusioned Deneya.
“He’s on the move,” Deneya said as she entered, casting her magic aside with a flick of her wrist.
Several curse words lit across Vi’s mind. But she kept her voice level. “What’s happened?”
“Egmun went out this evening. He rarely goes by horse anywhere, so I followed.” Deneya was still in her stable clothes, hay clinging to the rough wool covering her forearms. “He met with some Westerners down the mountain, at one of the last inns for travelers.”
“Did you recognize these Westerners?”
Deneya shook her head. “But you know humans, they age so fast. I couldn’t tell you for certain if they weren’t boys the last time we were in the West.”
“What did they discuss?”
“It was hard to hear from my hiding place. I had to remain inconspicuous so I stayed outside, underneath a window by the booth where they sat. But I know I heard mention of the Sword of Jadar.” Vi let out the string of curse words this time and ran her hand through her hair. Deneya continued, “It seems you haven’t given him enough. Egmun doesn’t believe you have the sword.”
“So he found the Knights of Jadar to make suretheydon’t have it.” Vi’s attempt at an illusion was costing them more than she could’ve imagined.
“And, in the process, let them know thathedoes,” Deneya said grimly. “They attacked him on the spot, accusing him of somehow stealing it.”
“And Egmun?”
“He’s all right. Slipped out in the fray. Two Knights tried to follow him but their horses were spooked by a bear emerging from the woods.”
“A bear?”
“Like this one.” Deneya waved her hand and uttered, “Durroe watt ivin.” A large grizzly bear materialized in the corner of the room, roaring soundlessly. She released the illusion as quickly as she made it. “It was more convincing when I hadcurowith it, for the roar.”
“Thank you for helping Egmun out of there.” Vi turned to Taavin with worried eyes. “What do you think?”
“I think your time is running short.” He stood from where he’d perched on the low bookshelves by the window. “You can’t risk getting caught off-guard and having the sword stolen by Knights intercepting you. Aldrik taking the sword to the Caverns is a stone in the river, as I’ve told you. The sword will find its way to him… one way or another. But if you want to transfer the power, we ought to be the ones to see both prince and weapon to the Caverns.”
“I know.” Vi chewed over her thoughts, which were unpleasant as a piece of raw fat. She looked down again at the stone in her hands. “I’ll have to get him there tonight.”
“How?” Deneya asked.
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something.” In one fluid motion of light and magic, there was the hilt of a sword in her hand where there had previously been none. It was shorter than the original Sword of Jadar, just the right size to fit in the scabbard Deneya had made.
“You’ve gotten better with the crystals,” Deneya said, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes drifted to Taavin. “She been practicing when we’re not looking?”
“She must’ve been,” Taavin thoughtfully replied.
“No time to go over it now.” Vi returned them to the matter at hand. “Deneya, ferry some items between here and the horses. We’ll take Prism and Midsummer—get them tacked and ready.”
“You want me to follow behind on the way to the Caverns?”
“No, get out ahead. Go to the cabin and stash our things there. I don’t know what will happen, so I want you to be nimble and ready.”
“All right, anything in particular you want me to ferry?”
Vi pointed the sword at two packs in the corner. “All my things are collected.”
“You were ready to go?”
“I knew we’d have to move soon… I was just hoping it wouldn’t be like this.” She’d hoped to head right to Oparium and bypass the Caverns entirely. But there was no way to win Taavin over to that plan. “I need to go to Egmun.”
Taavin grabbed her arm, stopping her. Vi swung to face the ethereal man. “Be careful,” he said, far more tender than the moment deserved. “Remember, everything you’re doing is a risk. And if you die now—” he touched the watch around her neck lightly “—if you don’t get this to Vhalla when the time is right. There is no Champion reborn.”
