“It wasn’t entirely unprotected,” Adela said gruffly. “My magic was powerful.”
“For one such as yourself, yes.”
“Tell me about these crystal weapons,” she demanded, tapping her cane on the ground.
“I’ll tell you that these weapons are worth little to you and everything to me. If I do not get them, it will spell the end of the world.” Vi looked out the windows. Adela—at least the Adela of her time—didn’t care about the world ending. It was an intangible concept to a woman who only valued things she could put her hands on. “I need your help in getting them to where they need to go. Specifically, I need theStormfrost.”
“I am the pirate queen, not a ferryman at your beck and call.”
“You are a mercenary by another name who will take jobs from the highest bidder regardless of who or what they are.” Vi gave her a hard look. Surprisingly, Adela didn’t look offended. She smiled wider, or perhaps it was a sneer. “I am the highest bidder.”
“All right, put your gold where your mouth is, then. What is sailing on theStormfrostworth to you?”
“I can give you access to the treasury of Solaris.”
Adela threw her head back and laughed. “Ihadaccess to the treasury of Solaris when I wasn’t even twenty-five. I took all I wanted and that treasure ended up being worth so little to me, I couldn’t be bothered to go back for it. Do better.” Vi had expected this reaction. But she couldn’t be blamed for starting low in her negotiations.
“The Archives of Yargen.” That got Adela sitting straighter. She wasn’t laughing now. “I know pathways in and through them. I will give you access to those pathways.”
“And get the Swords of Light away from the Archives?”
“You’d have to promise me more than the use of theStormfrostto get me to do that.” Vi wasn’t even sure if shecoulddo that. But she wanted Adela to think she could.
“What will the use of theStormfrostentail?”
“I need you to deliver me to a few places, pick me up in a few others. Perhaps some comrades of mine as well. Nothing too difficult for the great pirate queen.”
“That’s a rather open-ended request. I have my own empire to run here on the seas. I need to know how much of my time you’ll take to determine if what you’re promising is worth it.”
“I won’t call on you more than five times in the span of the next ten years.” In ten years, the Caverns would meet their end, one way or another; a new Vi would be born; and she would long know if her efforts to save the world had ultimately resulted in failure.
“Humans,” Adela said, as though her own parentage wasn’t part human. “Always thinking so narrow.”
“I’m attempting to strike you a fair deal.”
Adela hummed, looking out the windows at the sea drifting by. She caressed the top of her cane made of ice, smoothing away jagged shards as they grew around her fingers. Being part elfin explained her immense power, and her longevity.
“Access to the Archives of Yargen for five trips in the next ten years, whichever comes first,” Adela summarized before bringing her bright blue eyes back to Vi. “You have your deal, Champion.”
“One more thing.”
“You are not accustomed to how negotiations work, are you?” Adela narrowed her eyes. “One puts everything on the table foremost.”
“The boy, Fallor…” Her voice trailed off. The thought had vanished from between her fingers and Vi struggled to bring it back. Why had she brought up Fallor again?
Ah.
The memory of Arwin, soaking in the bath, staring at the ceiling, trapped in a bubble of pain and longing and what-ifs. The shade of Jayme on the boy. Fallor was nothing in relation to stopping the vortex, but she had made a promise to save the people she could, hadn’t she?
“You are to cut ties with him.”
“We have been working—”
“This isn’t negotiable,” Vi said firmly.
Adela pursed her lips. “Very well, we have other morphi we’ve been working on recruiting.” Adela shrugged. “Or are they off-limits too?”
“Recruit away.” Vi leaned back in the chair, folding her hands over her stomach and staring out at the ocean. Perhaps the Isle of Frost getting a shift was the stone in the river, and some other morphi would betray King Noct and his family. Perhaps she’d somehow made it worse. But for now Vi hoped that Arwin would have a few extra years of happiness. If she was lucky, regardless of what else came to pass in the world around her, she would have a hand to hold when the day was done.
