Sovereign Sacrifice

by Kova, Elise

  Vi laughed brightly and moved onto the next crate. “I’m sure you know how it is… they never tell the help anything. Just expect us to read their minds.”

  “Isn’t that the truth.” He shook his head sadly.

  “So he deals in gems now.” Crate after crate was filled with sparkling items that would fetch incredible prices. Where did Twintle get the money to invest in such a pricey business? And just how much was here?

  “Rumor on the docks is the Le’Dans are quite sour because of it.”

  “Oh?” Vi paused, sliding up to the man. She made it a point to glance over at Deneya and the other guard. “Say, what’s your name?”

  “Adeem.”

  “Adeem,” Vi repeated. “I do love good gossip, especially when it involves nobles.”

  “Who doesn’t?” He chuckled. “All I know is that Richard Le’Dan has come by twice and both times were… quite contentious.”

  “I see.”

  “Twintle said that’s part of why he’s hired us to guard the place. He’s worried the Le’Dans will come during one of his secret meetings.”

  “Secret meetings?” Vi could feel the muscles around her ears tense, as though they were trying to widen themselves so she could better hear what he would say next. This was what she had come here for.

  “They happen at night. I think it’s Twintle’s suppliers and movers. Men and women—mostly men, though—come carrying crates in and out.”

  “What do they look like?” Vi asked, trying not to sound too eager.

  “Twintle is very secretive about his trading practices… They all wear red hoods, like a Crone.”

  Vi laughed. “How odd,” she said lightly, though inside she was barely bottling her excitement. Twintle had moved the meetings of the Knights of Jadar from his home to his warehouse and he was amassing wealth for the Knights there. He was likely distributing it as well. Everything lined up with the bits of information Deneya had collected. “Do you know when the next meeting is?”

  “I imagine when the Lord is back. He usually holds them once per week, right at the end.” The guard shrugged. “Though, again, it’s not as if they tell me anything.”

  “Right…” Vi’s eyes landed on a stretch of chests locked with heavy padlocks. She began rummaging through her bag. “Adeem, can you be a dear and please go fetch me a quill? I seem to have misplaced mine.”

  “Of course.” He eagerly scampered off.

  Vi leaned over, crouching behind one of the chests to hide her motions. “Juth calt.”

  The lock was off and Vi set it aside. She opened the chest hastily, not even wasting time with a glance in Adeem’s direction. Rubies winked up at her in the low light of the warehouse’s flame bulbs.

  Rubies… Vi closed the chest, straightening away and looking at all the other identically locked chests. Chests of Western rubies.

  “Here you go.” Adeem had returned, and he wasn’t alone.

  “Everything checks out on my end,” Deneya said in a tone that implied she wouldn’t be able to stall for much longer. Which was fine—Vi already had the information she needed.

  “Mine as well. Thank you both for your flexibility in this.” Vi made some marks in a ledger and smiled brightly at both the guards, imagining her illusioned cheeks dimpling.

  “Yes, thank you.” Deneya started for the door. “I’ll be sure to let Twintle know that he has cleared inspection and remains in good standing with the crown.” They emerged back into the sunlight. “You two have a lovely day.”

  Vi gave a wave, hastening beside Deneya before there were any further exchanges.

  “Find anything?” Deneya asked when they were out of earshot and halfway to the next warehouse. They had three to go to ensure the surprise inspections couldn’t be questioned.

  “Two things, actually.”

  “Oh? Do tell,” she asked eagerly.

  “The first is that he has chests of Western rubies.”

  “How many?”

  “I counted at least eight.”

  Deneya hummed. “That should be past the legal limit. King Rocham imposed mining sanctions on the stones about two decades ago. Though, knowing Twintle, he’d argue that it was a law made by an old king and is currently unclear under Imperial law.”

  “So not illegal, and not inherently nefarious?”

  “Not nefarious, though suspicious… Good Western rubies fetch prices that can make your head spin. The reason Rocham banned them was because of an attack by Adela on a mine not far from the coast at the southern border. Combined with the difficulties surrounding their mining.”

  “I see,” Vi murmured, eager to change the topic off Adela as quickly as possible. “The guard—Adeem—also told me that Twintle has been hosting gatherings of his ‘suppliers.’”

  “Now that sounds interesting.” Deneya stopped walking to give Vi her full attention.

  “It was. Men and women apparently coming and going in red hoods. Hiding their faces. Keeping others out at all costs.” Vi glanced back at the warehouse. “I think we might have discovered the Knights of Jadar’s new meeting spot and, even better, I think I know when the next meeting is.”

  And that meant the next time all the Knights were gathered, she would be ready to strike.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Twintle was gone for about two months. His absence forced Vi to be patient, and to sit with her decision to take an active position against the Knights. The time also gave her ample evenings to continue working with the Sword of Jadar.

  After Raylynn questioned if Vi could make the girl her own crystal weapon, Vi was no longer practicing with it as she would any other sword. Now, she focused on the magic, imagining it brightening and changing underneath her fingertips as it had with the ancient Champion.

  The sword was suspended between Vi’s knees as she slowly pushed and pulled at the magic that surrounded it. The magic was becoming a tangible thing, like a taffy that oozed between her fingers if she tried to hold onto it for too long, but solid enough for her to get good draws against it. She could sit for hours, moving it between her hands. Each time she turned it over she felt something new and different, as if a distant corner of her soul was ignited by it.

  “As fascinating as it is to watch,” Taavin said from where he sat across from her, “I’m still not sure what you’re trying to accomplish.”

  “That makes two of us,” Vi murmured, holding her focus. She’d made a cage of her fingers, the air within shimmering. “But you said I’ve not tried to manipulate Yargen’s magic or the crystals the ninety-two other times. So why—” Vi glanced at him and her concentration was broken. The magic snapped back into the sword with a palpable crack. Vi sighed. “Why not be rebels and explore this as a possible tool to help us end this cycle?”

  “The way we end this cycle is by making sure nothing happens to that sword and, sooner over later, getting it as far as possible from this city.” He stared at her for a long minute, shook his head, and proceeded to become fascinated with a corner of the room. Vi hated how even when she was frustrated with him, the angular lines of his heartbreakingly beautiful profile softened her. She returned her attention to the weapon.

  “I think I can do it, because I think I’ve made crystals before,” Vi confessed.

  “What?”

  “It was when we were on Meru. When I crossed the shift to enter the Twilight Kingdom.”

  “You told me nothing of crystals then.”

  “I had a lot on my mind.” Twist, pull, hold. Vi wrangled the magic like her memories. “I was more focused on keeping you alive and saving my father than anything else. There were those tears in the shift, formed by the red lightning. When I passed through on my own for the first time, the magic in the watch protected me.”

  “You mentioned that. How do crystals come into play?”

  “Well, when the magic emerged from the watch, there was shimmering blue. It condensed and hardened around my feet. It protected me. When I made it through to the Twilight
Kingdom, tiny shards of obsidian surrounded me. The shards looked identical to dormant crystal.”

  “I see…”

  “It makes sense, don’t you think? The crystals were formed from Yargen’s power. They contain her power. It’s as if the magic condensed…” Vi put pressure on the ball of magic she held in her hands. “… enough that…” Sparks flew between her fingers, increasing in brightness and density. “… it was given physical—” All at once the magic broke free and snapped back into place “—form,” Vi finished and finally turned her eyes to him.

  Taavin gazed at her with a peculiar intensity she hadn’t seen from him yet. Only he could make her feel on edge and completely relaxed at the same time. “Perhaps you’re right.”

  “Mother above, did it hurt to admit that?” Vi tilted her head back and let out a burst of laughter. Lifting the sword off her lap, she set it to the side and gave Taavin her full focus.

  He ignored the remark. “Perhaps that’s the variable I haven’t been considering.”

  “The incident in the Twilight Forest?”

  “Yes. All this time I focused on what you did and what happened to you when you were sent back. I never stopped to consider how the events that happened before you fully assumed your mantle as Champion shaped and formed what came after.”

  It seemed rather obvious to her, but Vi resisted saying so. She’d already made one playful jab and they were having what seemed like productive discourse.

  “I think there was a unique sequence of events at play,” he continued. “Lightning strikes, you getting to the Twilight Kingdom, noticing the obsidian, and piecing together how those shards relate to the watch’s magic… all random variances between worlds.”

  Taavin stood with purpose. Holding out his hands, his lips began to move quickly. It never took him too long to draw on the wisdom of his past selves. When he finished, his attention was on her.

  “Well?”

  “I already knew there was no record of your obsession with manipulating crystal, but that confirms it.”

  “Does this mean we can say with certainty we’re on a new timeline?” Vi jumped up from her chair. “Zira is alive, nothing has befallen her—”

  “And some events will still transpire regardless,” he said firmly.

  “Maybe not, you don’t know.”

  “I—”

  “You don’t know,” she emphasized, then waited for his challenge. It never came. “We could be on a new timeline. Possibly a successful one. There’s only one way to find out.”

  “You want to go to an Apex of Fate.”

  “Yes, and I think I know where one is.” She’d been waiting for a convenient opening to convince him this was the right course. Tonight was that night.

  “Where?”

  “The port… where the Eastern descendant of the Champion gave up the scythe to send it to Meru.” His frown told her she was right in assuming it was an Apex. “The port is safe. I can conceal myself. It’s low risk.” Taavin ran a hand through his hair. He clearly didn’t want to agree with her. Vi persisted in the wake of his silence. “The wedding might have changed everything, and we don’t know.”

  “You’re right. You need to look into the future. And I know I must let you do this. Yet…” Taavin crossed over to her, scooping up her hands in his. His thumbs ran against her knuckles.

  “Are you really the same person who had me sailing to Meru?” Vi said softly. “You fret over me leaving the castle now.”

  “I’m not the same person.” He gazed at her through his lashes. “That man didn’t understand the cost of losing you—not for the world, and not for him.”

  “But I am the same woman who made that journey,” she said tenderly, tightening her fingers around his. “I am the same woman who boarded a vessel and left her home behind, who fought pirates and won, who accidentally made crystals. I might look like those ninety-two other women, but I’m not. I’m me, Taavin. Regardless of who I look or sound like, I am unique. This chance, this very moment, is ours alone. Don’t condemn me for others’ failures.”

  He nodded. “I know.” She wasn’t sure she could believe him. “Which is why I’ll merely ask you to be safe on this excursion.”

  “I will.” His warming up to her boldness only made her feel all the guiltier for keeping her other actions regarding the Knights from him. But hopefully, by the time he learned of them, she would be telling him their future was secure.

  * * *

  The port of Norin was bustling at all hours of the day. A vessel was always coming in or leaving. Fish needed to be hauled for the morning’s market. Sailors looked to blow off steam before they returned to the sea.

  Yet there was a unique quiet to the port at night. People went about their business with the hushed tones darkness brought. Most saw by the lights of lanterns at pubs, the glow of their pipes, or stars in the sky.

  Vi was reminded of a different time she’d journeyed to the port of Norin in darkness. Jayme had been with her then. Those days had been her final moments on the Dark Isle of her world.

  She paused, sweeping her eyes across the port, remaining alert, before tucking her head back down and starting off toward the oldest section of the docks. The salt covered stones beneath her feet had seen more history than libraries. And, if she was lucky, they would show her history yet to be made.

  At the far end was the old dock, rotted and sagging. A mix of nostalgia and respect still kept its pylons in use, but only dinghies were tied up here now.

  Vi stared out at the sea, envisioning what the scythe had shown her. She saw the slow curve of the land to her left, the cliff rising up to support the rich section of Norin.

  “It was here,” Vi affirmed to herself. She glanced around. A man slumbered against a doorstep. The houses were dark. No eyes seemed to be on her. Still, her heart raced.

  She crossed over to the sea wall and sat on its edge, her feet dangling just above the dark water. With one last glance around, Vi cupped her palms in her lap and summoned a mote of flame.

  It didn’t take long before the world was overcome with white.

  Color came into focus first. Then, blobs formed hazy shapes that quickly gained clarity and form. A mass of people moved together. They swayed and swirled in time to music Vi couldn’t hear.

  Their faces were painted with expressions of joy. Hands clapped soundlessly. Golden strips of paper rained from the sky. Vi held out her hand, trying to catch a piece of confetti. But it fluttered straight through her.

  Pennons bearing the seal of Solaris reached out for the breeze, their golden stitching picking up the sunlight. It was a celebration unlike any Vi had ever seen, in a place she had only ever imagined.

  Surrounding her was a semi-circle of triangular bleachers that rose up like points on a sun. Men and women were packed within them, drinking, talking, cheering. She didn’t need to hear their joy; she could feel it. It was a palpable, pulsating thing.

  The song stopped, and with it the dancing. The crowd turned their focus to the high stage lined by wide columns. This was the Sun Stage. She recognized it from the drawings Romulin had sent her.

  Then, as if by thought, he appeared.

  Every emotion welled in her all at once at the sight of her family. Her father led, mother at his right hand. His hair was salted as she remembered it. Her mother’s was perfectly coiffed. It was a trick of the mind, but Vi could almost smell the faint scent of eucalyptus that was always in their perfumes. Romulin was at their side, just as she remembered him.

  Which meant…

  Vi searched for her future self.

  She wasn’t there.

  Her heart started to race. When was this? What was this celebration for? Was she in the North or… Had she changed the future so dramatically that Vi Solaris was no longer a part of it?

  Vi’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as Romulin collapsed.

  The young man seized on the ground. Vi tried to take a step forward, but she was rooted to the spot. People were
running around her, guards were being called. Her mother held her brother, hoisting him upward. Her father barked orders. Romulin’s head rolled back, his mouth hanging open like the gaping mouth of Raspian himself.

  Red lines ran down his cheeks—tracks of bloody tears. They had the same glow as the red lightning cracking through the sky. Romulin’s sky blue eyes had gone milky, and a pale white foam oozed from his mouth.

  Vi screamed. She screamed and screamed but no sound came. She flung every curse she knew at the world, at the heavens, at the injustice of it all. She screamed until there was nothing left to say, and the vision came collapsing back in on her.

  She panted, back on the sea wall, her fire extinguished, her body doubled over on itself. Her throat was raw, so raw she could vividly imagine Raspian ripping into it. She slowly raised her head, staring out across the sea.

  If the White Death still came for this land, she had changed nothing.

  “No,” Vi rasped, forcing her spine to find strength enough to straighten. If her brother was the one who was diseased—not her mother—something had changed.

  Vi pushed herself away from the wall, pulled her hood tight and started off, her bones shaking with every step.

  She had begun to shift fate. But she hadn’t altered it enough. Saving Zira, working to thwart the Knights’ attention at the wedding, and getting the Sword of Jadar sooner than she ever had before… none of it was enough to stop Raspian from being set free.

  Clenching her jaw, Vi glared at Twintle’s warehouse as she passed. Changing fate would take something bolder, and more daring, than anything she’d tried until now.

  Chapter Twenty

  “You aren’t experimenting as much with the sword lately,” Taavin observed.

  “I know.” Vi yawned so wide her jaw popped. “I’m too tired these days.” Vi was nearly going cross-eyed from exhaustion.

  “What has you burning the candle at both ends?” he asked thoughtfully.

  “By day I fulfill my duties to the crown, enough to keep a low-profile here… I train with Zira, lunch with Fiera… and most evenings I have nightcaps with Deneya.” That wasn’t all she’d been doing at night.