Jax took the last of the papers from the prince and asked, “Where’s this cargo hold?”
“Louis, you show him,” Cole said, starting for his cabin.
Vi struggled to resist the urge to do it herself. But she had no reason to insist she be the one to show him. Violet didn’t know this man.
So she was left standing uncomfortably as Louis led Jax below decks to the dark cargo-hold.
She milled about the deck as she waited, using the time to think. If the prince cleared the ship, she could get off. The ship would offload and be out of port. Then—
A conversation disrupted her thoughts.
“Fallen lord, how dare he step foot on this ship.”
“Henrietta wants us to teach the royal and his lackeys a lesson for poking their noble noses into our business. They’ve been rooting around where they don’t belong since they got to Oparium and hosted that little soirée of theirs.”
Someoneshh-ed. “Don’t say her name so loudly.”
“They’re going to find out if they keep investigating.”
Vi strolled over to the railing to get closer to the whisperers without looking suspicious.
“Stay calm and don’t act rashly.”
“Twintle doesn’t pay us enough for this.”
The conversation was between some of Henrietta’s crew and Dower’s. Usually, a few of Henrietta’s crew stayed with the ship after they traded off the rubies. They were there to make sure that everything went according to plan—that was all the explanation Vi ever got.
Movement distracted her. She saw Joyce walking down into the hold. Vi pushed away from the railing as magic rippled the air. The last thing Vi saw was dagger of ice in the woman’s hand.
At the same time, Dower’s door opened.
The next few seconds unfolded as the world slowed to a fraction of its speed. Magic ignited below deck while Joyce retreated above. Vi lifted her hands and blocked the woman’s path with fire. Joyce had gone rogue.
Vi’s fire melted away with a hiss of steam as water pushed against it. A trident made of ice appeared in Joyce’s hand and she lunged. Vi clamped her mouth shut so Lightspinning didn’t escape.
She could go for the rest of her life without ever seeing an ice trident again. Joyce dropped her other hand, spreading ice across the deck, slowing the rest of them as she launched herself over the railing.
“Stop her!” Jax shouted as he emerged from below, alight with fire. He threw himself over the railing in hot pursuit of Joyce.
Vi followed on instinct.
They pushed through the crowds on the docks, already dissolving into panic. Vi watched Joyce cut down any who stood in her way. Behind her, Vi could hear Erion and Baldair shouting, but she worked to keep up with Jax. Instinct told her to do so above all else.
They rounded market streets, not far from the hovel. Joyce headed down a side alley and Vi was just close enough to see Jax disappear through an illusion in a cliff-side. Sprinting over, Vi ran her hands along the surface of the wall; sure enough, they sank through a misty illusion concealing a narrow passage.
She plunged through.
“Stop and I might make this painless for you,” Jax’s voice echoed ahead. Vi pushed her feet harder as magic erupted.
The narrow passage opened up into a cavern that had an interior cliff with a sheer drop down to the sea. It was no doubt one of the openings she’d seen the night before, with Taavin and Deneya. White hot flames assaulted Joyce as she levied a volley of ice spears with a wave her hand. Jax lifted his arms on instinct. Vi did the same, bringing a thin veil of flames to cover them both.
“What’re you doing here?” He blinked at her.
“Helping you!” Vi shouted back. “I’ll keep her pinned, you kill her!”
With a scream, Jax lunged forward for Joyce, fire alight. He missed his target. Vi watched him twist and Joyce caught his leg, ice coating his foot.
He certainly wasn’t the skilled combatant he’d been in Vi’s time—at least, not yet.
