by Elise Kova
“Excellent. And perhaps, if you’re still here come summer… you’d let me breed these two again and sell me that foal too?” Argus showed the root of his kindness. “Warstriders of this caliber are hard to come by, and I would be remiss to let you go so easily.”
He gave a genuine chuckle. The whole time the stable master had been stroking the mounts. Vi doubted he even realized that he’d gone through all of their bridals, checking them.
“Perhaps,” Vi relented. Deneya had a job in the palace without too much effort. The longer the man thought they’d be useful to him, the better. “Thanks for offering my friend a job.”
“No trouble. I could put you to work as well? Daughter of Ronaldo would be a welcome addition to my staff.”
“Thank you, but I’m hoping to find a job that doesn’t involve horses. I’ve mucked enough stables for one lifetime.”
Argus chuckled at that. “Well, if you change your mind, come back. And you, Danya, I’ll see you with the sun tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Deneya forced a smile so false that Vi had to struggle not to laugh at it.
“If you’ll excuse us, we’re meeting an acquaintance in the Imperial Library.”
“Is that right? Marc!” Argus called for the guard from earlier, who begrudgingly stepped over. “Take these two up to the library through the castle.” He looked back to them. “Much faster than going through the city.”
Vi and Deneya said their thanks and followed behind Marc into the palace of Solaris.
Gooseflesh covered her arms the moment they crossed the threshold and Vi let out a sigh of equal parts delight and awe. They went into a side hall that wound around the throne room and receiving area. Her breath hitched as they turned a corner, the room opening into a sitting area. Vi delicately lifted a hand, feeling the fitted stones of the wall.
She touched the masonry of the palace like she was greeting a long-lost friend.
Every twist and turn of the candle-lit halls thrilled her. Every stairwell that rounded back on itself, overlooking Solarin on each landing, sent shivers up her spine.
She knew this castle better than anywhere in the world, even though this was the first time she’d stepped foot in it. She knew the pathways that would head to the royal wing, guarded with a stunning gold gate. She knew the secret servants’ halls her mother spoke of and that she’d delighted in finding on her maps.
She knew the moment they laid eyes on the library doors.
The heavy door glided over the plush carpet silently at the guard’s slightest push. The smell of leather and parchment filled her nose. Vi’s eyes settled on the gold-gilded cherry wood bookcases that lined up in rows down the center hallway of the library. She stared at the center circulation desk, and the ancient looking man behind it who didn’t even so much as look up from what he was working on.
With a soft click, the doors behind them shut, and Vi was snapped back into reality.
“It’s just as she said,” Vi whispered. She was drawn to the books as if by a trance. Her hand closed around one of the metal sliding ladders that allowed people to reach the tops of the dizzyingly tall shelves.
“What is? Who?” Deneya asked.
“My mother.” Vi ran her fingers along the spines. She looked ahead to the outer wall she knew was lined with windows. Her mother had spoken fondly of a particular window where she would always sit to read. Would Vi be able to tell which, even though Vhalla had yet to step foot in the castle in this world? Would she feel it in her marrow as keenly as she could feel Yargen’s magic? “She always said she wanted to introduce me to her friends here.”
“I doubt your mother’s friends will show up for a few years yet.” Deneya laced her fingers, placing them behind her head as Vi let out a soft laugh.
“Her friends weren’t people… they were books.”
“Books? Your mother sounds like a dull person.”
Vi grinned at Deneya. “My mother’s life was anything but. You’ll see soon enough.”
They reached the end of the bookshelf and Vi looked down the long line of windows. Each one had a seat carved out beneath its glass. Cerulean pillows turned them into comfortable reading nooks.
Vi couldn’t tell which one had been, and would become, her mother’s.
“So, now that we’ve met your mother’s ‘friends’ and I somehow ended up with a job that will involve literal shit… it’s your turn.”
“Yes.” Vi tore her eyes from the windows. “You wait here while I—”
“I’m not waiting with a bunch of books.” Deneya’s tone reminded Vi of the woman’s disdain for reading. “I’m going to explore the city and begin to get a lay of the land.”
“Where will I find you?”
“In the closest pub to this frosty library, I’d bet.”
“Are you exploring the city or getting drunk?” Vi asked dryly.
“It’s been a while since we had the comforts of a city.” Deneya grinned.
“Keep your head about you and the gold in our pockets, please.”
“I always have my head about me. And I have a job, remember? I’ll be spending my coin how I please.” Deneya stepped away with a wave and vanished among the rows of books.
Vi watched her for a moment before going in the opposite direction. She’d made it into the castle. Now it was time to break in to the Tower of Sorcerers.
Chapter Three
There were a few principles Uncle Jax had taught her since Vi was a little girl. Right at the top of the list was that the South hated sorcerers above all else.
Vi hadn’t understood why when she was younger. She’d merely accepted it, as children do. But experience had taught her that the hatred went all the way back to the original, magic-less settlers of the Dark Isle, fleeing persecution on Meru. While that history had long been lost on the general public, it established Vi’s expectation for her time here.
Starting with finding the Tower of Sorcerers.
The Tower was hidden in plain sight to prevent the servants and citizens of Solarin from being on edge all the time. There was a main entry accessible to the public, though even that was difficult to find. Vi knew where it was, of course. But she was closer to a back door. Sneaking in would have a far greater impact.
She stopped along one of the many hallways of the palace. She’d taken the long way to get here, savoring every step. No one stopped her. It was miraculous how far she could go when she walked with confidence.
Vi stood in front of a seemingly plain stone wall. On one of the stones was a symbol of two halves of a circle, broken apart and off-set from each other. It was a simplified version of the Broken Moon, the symbol of the Tower of Sorcerers.
Glancing around the hallway to make sure no errant servant would see her, Vi tapped the stone and watched her finger disappear within it. It was an illusion, carefully crafted and maintained by one of the Waterrunners in the Tower. She side-stepped through the wall with confidence, into a nearly pitch-black tunnel.
At the far end was a single flame bulb by an unassuming, unlocked door. The door led to a winding pathway that spiraled up higher and higher. Circular common areas were on her right, taking up the center of the tower. Doors to individuals’ rooms were on her left. Flame bulbs lit the interior passage every several steps.
She passed by a group of people on her way up. They stopped talking, then quickly exchanged whispers and glances at the sight of her. But just like the servants she’d passed on the way here, no one made an attempt to speak with or stop her.
At the top of the tower was the office of the Minister of Sorcery. In her time, this room had been occupied by Fritznangle Chareem. This was where he would’ve greeted her and welcomed her as a new member of the Tower when she finally came home.
For a brief moment, Vi rested her fingertips on the door and closed her eyes, imagining that moment as she had so many years ago. Try as she might, she couldn’t find the fantasy. Even opening her eyes and staring at the door, Vi had a hard time summoning
what had been one of her more favorite daydreams.
The child who had dreamed them was long gone.
Vi gave a knock on the door and an unfamiliar voice responded, “Enter.”
Letting herself in, Vi stepped into the generously sized office. The Minister of Sorcery sat at a desk, running a hand through his sand-colored hair. Books were crammed into shelves. A workstation bubbled with something sweet-smelling Vi couldn’t place. She did a visual sweep of the room before her eyes met the bright blue ones of the Minister. His attention was focused solely on her.
“I don’t know you.” Egmun didn’t mince words.
“Unfortunate for you, but easily remedied.” Vi sat herself in one of the plush leather chairs that faced the desk. She tapped her fingers on the armrest, acting as though she was already somewhat impatient. “I’m here for a job.”
“A job?”
“Yes.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re not of the Tower.”
“Not yet. Though I’m looking forward to being a part of it.” Vi smiled sweetly at the face of the man whom she planned to play like a fiddle.
“Usually one would schedule a meeting with me, and I would meet them in the reception hall at the base of the Tower.”
Vi couldn’t tell if he was cross or impressed for the unorthodox way she’d gone about this. Egmun likely didn’t know himself. “Yes, I thought this would be faster. Cut right to the chase.”
“How did you get up the Tower without an escort? Someone must be stationed at the public entrance at all times to prevent wanderers like you.” He tapped his fingers against each other; magic rose around him like a tide.
“I didn’t use the public entrance.”
“How did you get to a private one, then?”
“I have my ways.” Vi tilted her head. “Wouldn’t you like those ways to be under your employ?” He was curious. She’d tempted him with a nibble of knowledge. From here, she’d slowly feed him more in just the right amounts until he was eating from her hands.
“Do you enjoy avoiding questions?”
“Insofar as it suits me.” Vi smirked.
“What’s your name? Will you at least give me a direct answer for that?”
“Vivian.”
“Vivian,” he repeated. “And is there a family name to go along with that?”
She shook her head. “Just Vivian.”
“I assume you have some kind of magic, otherwise you wouldn’t be here looking for a job in the Tower of Sorcerers. Judging from your looks—you’re a Firebearer?”
Vi lifted her hand and summoned flames around her palm. They snaked and wriggled between her fingers, illuminating the room in a red-orange glow. She extinguished them by balling her hand into a fist.
“Yes, well… I have enough Firebearers. Sorry to disappoint you.” He pursed his lips together and looked back down at his desk. “If you excuse yourself without issue I will spare you the trouble of calling the guard for trespassing on the Tower uninvited.” Vi didn’t buy his dismissal for a moment. She’d bet anything that if she stood and walked off, he’d follow to see what secret passage was the Tower’s weak spot.
“I never said I was here to offer you my skills as a Firebearer.”
“You’re still here?” Egmun glanced up at her.
“We both have something the other needs, and I think we should work together,” Vi continued calmly, folding her hands over her lap. Egmun was now staring at her, saying everything with his eyes. Vi let the moment drag out. She was making a bold move, but the magnitude of her plans could hinge on little else. “I consider myself a researcher of crystals as well.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you don’t.” Vi smiled and stood, walking over to one of the windows with purposeful strides as she spoke. She acted as though the office was her own. “Then I’ll just talk at you for a moment, and let’s see if anything sounds interesting to you…
“I grew up in the West reading about the power of crystals and hearing all the colorful stories that surround them. Stories of a power unlike any other. There was one thing, more than anything else, that entranced me—the Sword of Jadar.”
“The sword is long gone.” His whole attention was on her now.
“So they say… So I want people to believe.” Vi glanced over her shoulder as the man jumped to his feet.
“You have it?” He was so hungry for the answer that he was nearly drooling over the question. Vi had been away from people for so long that she’d forgotten just how foolish power-hungry men could be.
“I do.”
“Are you a Knight of Jadar?”
“If I was a Knight of Jadar, would I be offering the sword to a Southerner?” Vi arched her eyebrows. “The Knights seek the sword to bring back the might of Mhashan. They’re old men yearning for a renaissance of their glory days because they can’t handle that the world has changed.” Vi allowed venom to seep into the words. “Mhashan is gone. And I don’t want to use the crystals’ power to bring back the past.”
“Then what do you want?”
To save the world. “Must I want anything more than the pursuit of knowledge?”
The hard line of his brow softened at the question. She’d disarmed him. Just as Taavin had advised her, Egmun was a man who thirsted for knowledge above all else. Curiosity was an irresistible carrot for him that Vi now dangled at the end of a stick.
“Prove you have the sword,” he finally demanded.
She clicked her tongue. “It doesn’t work that way. Like I said, we each have something the other needs. It doesn’t serve me to give you my bargaining chip without first getting something in return.”
“The Sword of Jadar is quite the bargaining chip. What could I possibly offer you of equal value?”
“The crown prince.”
“What do you need him for?”
“If you are as well-researched on the crystals as your reputation has led me to believe, then I assume you know about the barrier in the Caverns?”
“You mean the door?” he clarified. It didn’t entirely confirm her suspicion that he was the dark-hooded man she’d seen at the Caverns, but it did support the theory.
“Yes, it leads to the heart of the Caverns, where the true power is. The sword can unlock that power, with the right ritual.” The best lies were grounded in the slightest bit of truth. “But the barrier was formed by the late Empress Fiera.”
“It’s true then, the rumors of her death?” Vi nodded, wondering just what rumors had been flying about while she lived in the shadow of the Caverns. “Then, that means…”
“We need the crown prince to get to the true power. His magic is similar enough to his mother’s. He’ll be able to undo the barrier if we train him well enough with the crystals,” Vi finished for him. She didn’t actually know if Aldrik could undo the barrier alone or not. Fiera seemed to have an instinct for Lightspinning, despite all odds. Perhaps her son would as well. If not, Vi would be there to make sure there were no hiccups.
“We?” Egmun repeated, sounding somewhat offended.
“The sword is nothing if the door can’t be opened. And opening the door is useless without the sword because you will not be able to access the heart of the Caverns without it.” Vi crossed back over to him, perching herself on the edge of his desk. Placing her palm flat against its surface, ignoring the papers, Vi leaned toward the blue-eyed man. “Like I said, we need each other.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t. It’ll have to be an act of faith on your end.” Vi shrugged. “But if I were you… if I were a man of your talents and intellect, I wouldn’t let an opportunity like this go. You don’t have much to lose. Either I speak true, and the Sword of Jadar along with all the power in the Crystal Caverns could be yours,” she whispered the words, letting them hang in the air. “Or I’m lying, and you can kill me for trespassing in the Tower of Sorcerers, or some other invented crime, whenever it suits y
ou. I’m sure the Emperor will take your side over a random Westerner if it came to that.”
Egmun considered this for a long minute.
“I do think I have an opening here at the Tower, for someone of your talents.” Vi hummed as an invitation for him to keep talking. “Perhaps I could invite you to stay here as a personal assistant of mine? That way you’re not troubled with the day-to-day, and your mind can be free to work on other projects.”
“That would be wonderful.” Vi leaned away and slid off the edge of the desk.
“Excellent. Now, regarding the sword—” he said eagerly.
“I’ll show it to you when the time is right. Our deal is still fresh, minister, let it harden before we begin worrying about the next steps.” Vi smiled. She needed to buy herself some time in the palace to search for the crown. The longer she could delay bringing Aldrik and the sword to the Caverns, the better. “In the meantime, I would like to get settled into my new quarters.”
“Your… quarters?”
“Why, yes, I believe it’s common for teachers and students of the Tower of Sorcerers to be given their own rooms?” Vi arched her eyebrows. Egmun pursed his lips, but didn’t object. As long as she had the sword and knowledge to dangle before him, he would do her bidding.
“I fear the Tower is rather full at the moment.”
“What a shame,” Vi said, making it clear she really didn’t have time for excuses with her tone alone.
“Though, I do have a room I think I could make do, if you’re not too picky.” He rummaged through his desk, producing an iron key. “This way, if you please.”
The man led her out of his office and they wound even higher up the Tower.
“Beneath my office are the quarters I use,” Egmun said. They stopped before an unmarked door, which Egmun unlocked before passing Vi the key. “This is an unused storeroom, which I will gladly appoint for your use.”
Vi stepped into the chambers and waved her hand. Flames sparked to life in the braziers around the room. There wasn’t much in it. Mostly empty shelves and cabinets lined the back wall. A few crates were piled up about the room and a doorway led to an attached bathroom.