Jax finally sat and Vi paid careful attention to his movements. Luckily, nothing seemed out of sorts. She watched as he inspected the holes in his clothing, pressing on newly mended flesh.
“How long was I out for?”
“A few hours.”
“How did you heal me?”
Vi fought a smirk at that question. “Magic,” she answered coyly. He stared at her, disbelieving, and Vi laughed. He’d never understand Lightspinning, and she wouldn’t tell him. “Fine, fine, I had a salve on me. So you’re doubly lucky I was here,” she lied.
“Whydid you save me?”
Her insides knotted at that question. He was so shocked someone would, and clearly confused as to her motives.
“Should I not have?” Vi leaned against the cliff at her back. Jax just shrugged and silence passed between them. They should get moving; things in town were no doubt escalating quickly. But she stayed where she was, saying gently, “I know who you are.”
More panic across his eyes.
“I know you are Jax Wendyll, the man they call the ‘Fallen Lord’ in Norin,” she said. She’d been in and out of the port for years now, she’d heard the stories. But she’d mostly ignored them. She knew the type of person Jax was in any world. “I know that, three years ago, you were tried for the murder of the Zower family, including the young Lady Zower to whom you were engaged.
“I know you were conscripted to the crown for your seemingly heinous crime.”
“My crime was heinous,” he retorted.
“Itseemsit.”
“What would you know?” he snapped. “Who are you anyway?”
For one brief moment, Vi was back with Fiera on her birthing bed. She thought of telling him he had been like a father to her in another place and time. “Just a traveler,” Vi said simply. He snorted.
“You’re not ‘just’ a traveler.”
“Perhaps not ‘just.’” Vi grinned. He was astute. More than he realized. “But I have traveled from far away to investigate this Adela Lagmir impostor and her treasure.” It was technically true. Just not in the way he’d interpret it.
“So you’ve heard of it, too?”
Vi nodded—that was one way to put it. “They’ve been running a criminal ring for over a year in the coves further south of here. Ships dock and unload cargo… some legal that they’re avoiding tariffs on, others not so much. The coves are all connected, as you know. It’s a maze, but that’s how the real Adela gave the Emperor the slip about thirty-five years ago.”
“Along with her treasure,” Jax bitterly lamented.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Just because you haven’t found the treasure doesn’t mean it isn’t here.”
“What do you know?” His skepticism and self-doubt were becoming less jarring and more tiring by the moment.
“Help me take out this pirate queen impostor, and I’ll tell you what I know about the treasure. I want to be the one to find it.” She could imagine Taavin’s face when he heard what she was doing. Butshewasn’t the one going rogue and finding the treasure. She was just following along with the prince and his merry band to make sure they didn’t find it first. She was allowing fate to play out and give her the opportunity to get the crown.
If she lied to herself enough, perhaps even she’d believe it.
“Fortunate for me, that’s an easy deal to make.” A rush of relief overcame her and Vi beamed from ear to ear. “I would’ve done it anyway,” he added, as though trying to somehow make it seem like the whole thing was, at least in part, his idea.
“I suspected we were aligned when I saw you chasing after her.” Vi stood, dusting the sand and stones off her clothes. She had what she wanted, Jax was healed—no point in lingering. “Your little investigation into the treasure and soirée with the prince helped fluster the ring into making a mistake that has led me right to them.”
“And now you’re planning on going after her?”
“Will you help me?” Vi didn’t understand the question—she thought the matter settled.
Jax sighed and pulled himself up to his feet as well. Vi regarded him with a careful eye, making sure her healing was as good as she thought. He didn’t even stagger. “You’re lucky we happen to be aligned.”
“I think you were the lucky one.” Vi smiled thinly. He would’ve died had she not been here. Taavin had never mentioned anything about Jax dying, and finding a time to ask when they were more at peace with each other was now high on Vi’s list. Not that it mattered now. But she needed to make sure he wasn’t keeping potential futures from her to spare her heartache.
