Chapter Sixteen
Vi rolledon the stone and sand for the second time in the span of a day. Gold coins clanked and scraped against the rocks around her. Treasure glittered across the beach in the early morning light.
Dragging herself far enough out of the icy water that she could breathe without sputtering, Vi brought the spark under her skin. The water evaporated in shimmering waves of heat. She gulped in air by heaving lungful, staring up at the bloody sky. Spending years on boats and ships had turned her into a strong swimmer—strong enough to navigate the currents through the short passage out to the beach beyond.
She waited until her breathing slowed and her chest stopped burning, murmuring curses on the exhales. Failure felt like a noru on her chest, keeping her pinned. The crown had slipped through her fingers and who knew what the young men would do with it now.
Eventually, Vi pried herself up, left the gold behind for now, and began the long walk back to the hovel.
She didn’t even knock on arrival, allowing herself in. The room was empty and Vi helped herself to the bed, inhaling the familiar scent of the blankets as she collapsed and fell into a dreamless, exhausted, sleep.
“Vi,” Taavin said, shaking her shoulder. “Vi,” he repeated. She cracked open her eyes. “Oh thank Yargen.”
“You worried us,” Deneya said from over his shoulder.
“Sorry, things happened quickly.” Vi sat and Taavin helped her up. His fingers laced around hers as Vi rubbed her eyes with her other hand.
“You’re being reckless again,” he murmured.
“I had no choice.” Vi shook her head, her hand falling. “The prince and his group were going after the crown. I was trying to get to it before they did. I knew once it was found, taking it would be nearly impossible.”
“We know they found the treasure.” Deneya sat on her bed across from them. “The whole town is abuzz with it.”
“That was fast.”
“Word moves fast when it comes to ghostly prizes.” Deneya grinned. “What happened?”
“Jax, Erion, and Baldair showed up at theLady Black…” Vi started, telling them the events of the past day that had ultimately led to her failure. “… but I didn’t manage to get the crown.”
“So they have it, then,” Taavin said faintly.
“I can only assume.”
“Years…” Deneya trailed off, staring at nothing. But she didn’t have to finish her sentence; they all felt the shared sentiment. They’d spent years hunting for the crown. Now, all that time meant nothing.
“They had a map. Someone else was searching the caves,” Vi said.
“We had no idea.” Taavin shook his head. “But perhaps all will be well. In all other worlds, the crown has come to light after the War in the North began, at the earliest. We can find out what they did with it later.”
“In all other times, we hadn’t been meddling as much with the crystal weapons.” Vi folded her arms.
“What if we steal it back?” Deneya said, suddenly eager once more. “You studied the Imperial estate here. You know the manor. You just said there were secret tunnels connecting to it—hence why the blueprints you showed me ages ago were so strange. We could sneak in.”
“We could,” Vi said uncertainly. Deneya was right, Vi knew the manor. And now that she’d seen the prince’s map, she knew how the caves connected to it. “But I think they’ll have tighter security now that they have the lost treasure—or at least a small portion of it.”
“Nothing we can’t handle.”
“I appreciate your confidence,” Vi chuckled softly.
“We can’t take it.” Taavin put the notion to rest. “You’re right, we’ve been meddling. If the crown goes completely missing at this point, it’s impossible to say what would happen. We can’t risk the birth of a new Champion.”
“I grow weary of your obsession with Vhalla Yarl’s womb,” Deneya shot the curt remark at Taavin.
“He’s right though,” Vi said. “If it went missing now, they’d hunt for it.”
“They didn’t care to hunt for it for decades,” Deneya countered.
“But now they know it exists. They’ll know someone stole it. Getting the crown only worked so long as its location was a mystery.”
