* * *
It had been six months since they arrived in the West.
The desert heat felt like the embrace of an old friend. The people, the smells, the food, all carried a surprising nostalgia for her. But she hadn’t come here looking for an opportunity to reminisce. She’d come because the Crossroads was the one place they could turn pilfered, ancient, Solaris coins into usable Imperial gold on the black market.
They took every opportunity to exchange their coins. Even still, they sat on two plump bags of un-traded pirate gold and knew where more was, should they ever need it.
It was enough money to buy a wedge of property nestled within the busy market of the Crossroads—one with an iron gate for a door that Vi fashioned Fiera’s roses onto, exactly like the property Vi had stolen the key to from the spice seller in Shaldan a world ago.
They had enough money to enjoy themselves from time to time. Much like tonight, when they had decided to visit the sparring pits at Taavin’s suggestion. Vi found out why he’d made the out-of-character proposal the moment they arrived.
“He’s grown up a lot,” Taavin observed from her side, taking a sip from his flagon as his eyes remained on Baldair.
“Has he?” Vi wondered. She still saw very much the young man that had been in Oparium the year prior. Seeing him here with Jax and Erion had been a surprise. “He still looks like a foolish child.”
“You speak like an old woman.” Taavin grinned at her.
“I can’t be old if I’m ageless.” She grinned back at him then returned her attention to the men on the far side of the sparring ring. They carried on, jesting, betting on the fighters, drinking their brew, and remaining willfully ignorant to the battle that had begun to rage in the North—a battle Vi couldn’t yet bring herself to see. “We should leave here, soon.”
“I thought you wanted to change a bit more coin first.”
“I don’t want to saturate the market with old Solaris gold, especially not now that the prince is here. If he sees some, he may get suspicious. We have enough to get passage to Meru, and we already bought the shop.” Vi rubbed the familiar key in her trouser pocket. She’d carried its otherworldly twin a long time ago.
“You should stay on this continent a little longer.”
“Why?” Vi glanced at Taavin, suspecting what he’d say next would have something to do with why he was so insistent on coming out tonight.
“They’re going to need you. Specifically, the prince and… her.” Taavin motioned to the ring where two fighters entered.
The room went quiet for Vi. She could see the men and women still cheering on the fighters. The announcer called out the names of those about to spar. Swords rang out against scabbards as they were drawn.
But it was all a distant hum as her eyes fell on the adult Raylynn Westwind.
“I can’t,” Vi whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
“In the last world… she and the prince died in the coming weeks.” Taavin’s words were a dagger to her gut.
“I got her mother killed. I can’t have anything to do with her.” The words were like ash coating her mouth.I got her mother killed and I left her body in a puddle of its own blood like the foolish child I was.
“She doesn’t know that and she could use your help.”
Vi swallowed her fear and guilt. He was right. Raylynn didn’t know what she had done—that her mother was just another in a long list of casualties in the fight for a new world.
“I thought you didn’t want me to meddle too much?”
“I told you Raylynn’s life was variable, didn’t I? And you told me you wanted to save the people you could,” Taavin said gently. After their tense moments in Oparium, the gesture was not lost on her, and Vi’s heart warmed at his words. Taavin kept his eyes forward. Raylynn had begun to move. She was just like her mother—the sword was an extension of her body. “I have heard of these people through you, across so many lives. Seeing them now…”
“They’re real,” Vi finished for him. The crowd erupted at Raylynn’s victory.
“Let’s save them.”
“When and where?”
“She’ll take on Luke.” Vi jerked her head to Taavin and he grinned at her. “She blames him for her mother’s death and wants vengeance. She’ll take the prince with her to get it. In your world, he died on the way to Twintle’s manor. It’s possible that Raylynn will also die rushing in to take on Twintle.”
Vi brought up a map of the West in her mind, placing a pin where Twintle’s manor was. “We have to head to Norin anyway. Helping keep them alive can be on the way.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Taavin laced his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his lips.
