“We can handle them if they come after us; it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve fallen off the pages of history.” Deneya was making it difficult for Vi to think rationally. All she wanted to do was go after the crownright now. But rushing in with Jax hadn’t yielded results.
Patience, she reminded herself. Time and again, patience was the best way forward.
“What if I made another crown and you illusioned it again?” Deneya suggested.
“No,” Vi said immediately and firmly. “That didn’t work last time.” She rubbed her midsection, remembering the price she’d paid for it. “If Victor sees it—”
“And we have every reason to believe he will,” Taavin interjected, “if past worlds are any indication of how Victor might act now.”
“Victor will see right through any illusion.”
“How did he see through it the first time?” Deneya asked.
“A shift in the light,” Vi said, recalling that fateful encounter.
“Well, you’re more powerful now. I think—”
“Wait,” Vi whispered. “Shift…” Vi stood and began to pace. Her mind was racing. Her gut was laying a new path before her. “This could work.”
“What could work?” Taavin asked hesitantly.
“We have to go to the Twilight Kingdom to get the scythe. We also need to keep the crystal weapons in their places to ensure the birth of a new Champion.” She looked to Taavin as she spoke.
“Yes, that’s our top priority.”
Not saving the world?Vi wanted to ask. She knew where his priorities lay and she’d indulge him right up until the moment she couldn’t any longer—a moment Vi could now see on the distant horizon.
“We go to the Twilight Kingdom and collect the scythe. There, we have them use the powers of the shift to make a crown that looks like the crystals. Something real, tangible, not an illusion for Victor to see through.”
Then, while they were there, Vi would use Fallor to get to Adela. They needed passage to Risen to get the flame and, ultimately, someone crazy enough to take them to the island of the elfin’ra.
“That… might work,” Taavin relented.
“There’s just the one small problem of the Twilight Kingdom being a sea away.”
“I already planned for that.” Vi looked to Deneya with a grin. “We now have enough old Solaris gold to buy a ship. All we need to do is collect it.”
“Then we should do that,” Deneya said with a nod.
“You look tired. Why don’t you rest? Taavin and I can go and collect it.” Vi grabbed two packs and handed Taavin two more.
“All right, I can tell when I’m not wanted. Go and have your alone time.” Deneya was already nestling herself into bed.
“We’ll be back soon,” Vi said with a grin.
She and Taavin slipped out the door and into the dark town. There seemed to be fewer people about, likely because they were all clamoring somewhere else over Adela’s treasure finally being found.
Vi opened her mouth, surprised when Taavin spoke first.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I said, I’m sorry.” Their eyes met. “The other night, I was harsh.”
Vi gripped the strap of one of her packs tighter. “You’re only trying to do the right thing.”
“Yes, but doesn’t excuse me when I act an ass.”
