“He was delivering a message. He’ll be back within an hour and you’ll feel foolish for this.”
“What if I don’t?” The man turned his head and Vi slid behind a tent, creeping around the back to remain out of sight and within earshot. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “What if I have every right to worry? It was his son in that village. There were no survivors and you heard the way he was talking. He had a whole plan on how he was going to get close to and attack Prince Al—”
“Stop that nonsense,” the other man hissed. “You’re going to get him killed for treason with that talk and there’s no point to it.”
“You don’t know that. You didn’t see his poisoned dagger. He wasserious.”
Vi pressed her eyes closed and took a breath. She started off in the opposite direction, away from the men, rounding back through camp in a different way than than she came. She crouched down at Taavin’s side, clasping his shoulder.
“That was fast.”
“We have to go.”
Taavin did one quick scan of her face. “What happened?”
“I overheard two men talking about someone going to attack Aldrik,” Vi whispered.
“He’s supposed to be wounded in battle. That’s how it’s always happened.”
“I know what’ssupposedto happen, but that’s not what’sactuallyhappening,” Vi interrupted curtly. “Something changed.”
“Too many somethings,” Taavin murmured, glancing at the fire, as if he was the one who could find truth in flames.
“We need to move,now.” Vi stood.
They both followed her into the woods. Aldrik’s camp wasn’t far—probably an hour by foot for a normal soldier. She wanted to cross the dense forest in thirty minutes. If anyone could do it, it was her.
Not looking to see if her companions could keep up, Vi began to run. The trees blurred around her and, seemingly in a blink, they emerged into the camp. Rising above the other tents was a large, square canvas structure.
She was so close.
Magic flared. The inside of the tent glowed orange.
They were too late.
Fate had sneaked past them. As Vi’s eyes had been on Raylynn and Jax, thinking she had a bit more time to look after each of them before Aldrik required her attention, fate had made a mad dash for the prince.
Vi pushed past soldiers. Two guards positioned at the outside of the tent didn’t even have a chance to stop her.
“What’re you—” they tried to ask, but she ignored them, barging into Aldrik’s tent.
A charred husk of a man was on the floor. The prince had his hand pressed against his side. He was on his knees, hair a mess, covering his face as he lifted his dark eyes to her. His jaw was clenched shut and he swayed.
“My prince, I’m here to help you.” Vi rushed over. Aldrik slumped against her. His eyes were hazy. The man was an inferno to the touch. “Halleth maph,” Vi murmured. The prince was too far gone to hesitate using her Lightspinning.
“Don’t heal him entirely,” Taavin cautioned.
“But—”
“It’s not what we expected, but this wound will be what takes him south.”
“He can head south when he’s not on the verge of death.” Seeing Aldrik like this made Vi panic more than she would’ve wanted.
“Trust—” Taavin was interrupted by the two soldiers bursting in the tent behind them.
“The prince has been poisoned,” Vi said hastily. She could feel the foreign substance attacking his body. “He dispatched the assailant, but he’s wounded. He needs to return to Lyndum for healing.”
The soldiers looked at the carnage, at the blood soaking her shirt.
