“The former, I may be able to talk my way out of.” Aldrik pinched the bridge of his nose. “The later, I’m not sure.”
Vhalla took it for the truth, though something in the distance of his eyes made her suspect that he had a guess. She let it drop; perhaps some things were better left unsaid. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For telling me honestly.” It wasn’t lost on Vhalla how hard it likely was for him.
Aldrik laughed and shook his head. Vhalla pulled him closer to her and he obliged, leaning forward. Their lips met briefly, but that was all it took to reassure her about almost everything she thought she knew in the world.
“You need to get ready and edit that book.”
Vhalla stood, and he grabbed her wrist. “Will you come again tonight still?”
She blinked at his question. After all he just told her?
“I don’t know if that’s really—” she started, knowing full well now that it wasn’t just a bad idea, but a potentially dangerous one.
“There’s a secret entrance,” he said quickly.
Vhalla stared incredulously at him. “If there was a secret entrance, how come I didn’t use that to begin with?”
“Because I had a reason to see you.” A sly lopsided grin tugged at his lips. “Because I wasn’t expecting you to stay the night.”
Vhalla blushed and averted her eyes from his handsome face. “It’s still a poor choice,” she whispered.
“It always will be.” Aldrik stood. Her breath quickened by his proximity alone. He hooked his fingers under her chin and pulled her face upward gently. “If you want to make the widely accepted appropriate decision, then leave now, have mercy and end this before you entice me further. Because I promise, this will never be easy—for either of us—and I refuse to love you halfway.”
Once again, she felt the choice given to her. The problems were nothing she hadn’t told herself before. The challenges nothing she didn’t already realize. Yet, hearing him say it made it all the more terrifying. He seemed frightened as well, and if it frightened him, she had every right to be scared. But he also acknowledged it, telling her that he would fight if she would. There were a thousand things she wanted to reply with.
“What time?” were the only words that left her mouth.
“Six?” Aldrik’s face found its smile again, and Vhalla felt warm knowing she contributed to it.
“That’s fine.”
Aldrik nodded and led her out into the main room and behind the bar that occupied the space to the left of the doorway. Walking over to a shelf, Aldrik pulled a bottle and Vhalla was surprised to see it attached to a hidden metal lever. There was a click from somewhere in the wall, and he tugged open the shelves to reveal a passage. As they descended the short distance, a mote of light appeared over his shoulder.
“How did you know this was here?” she asked.
“I don’t enjoy feeling like I could be trapped somewhere. We stayed at this hotel at the start of the war, and I’ve insisted on it ever since after the owner showed this to me,” Aldrik explained as they reached the ground floor. “Six,” he affirmed.
She nodded.
“Be sharp, I’m the only one who can open this door.”
“I’ll be here, I promise.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Take care, lest I have to burn the Crossroads to the ground in a rage.”
Vhalla laughed softly, very well realizing that it may not entirely be a jest. She grinned up at him playfully. “Take care yourself, lest I have to blow the Crossroads away in a rage.” She was rewarded for her cheekiness with his laugher and another firm kiss.
Aldrik placed his palm on the door and pushed. Vhalla realized the truth of what he said earlier as the metal where a lock or knob should be began to melt around his hand. The molten metal parted and the door swung open. Vhalla stepped into the light beyond. She said nothing and he gave her a nod, closing the door that looked like the stone of the outside wall.
Vhalla waited a moment, her head reeling from all that had happened. Taking a breath, she turned and started the walk through the alleyways around the building and back to the main square. Somewhere along the way she found herself unable to contain giddy laughter.
Her hotel’s lobby was quiet, and Vhalla was thankful she could sneak up the stairs and into her room. Vhalla turned around the door, leaning against it with a blissful sigh. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake.
“Fritz, get up; she’s back.” Larel stirred.
“What are you two doing here?” Vhalla blinked at the two people occupying her bed.
“Fritz, up.” Larel shoved at the man sleeping next to her.
“Larel, nooo ...” Fritz pulled the covers over his head.
“She’s back,” Larel hissed.
Fritz was suddenly also sitting at attention.
“Good morning, Fritz, Larel,” Vhalla greeted them like a girl caught out late by her parents.
Fritz was across the room in a moment, his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t you ‘good morning’ me.” He peered at her. “You were out all night! We were worried!”
Well, that explained why they had decided to occupy her room. “I’m sorry,” she said honestly.
“We couldn’t even ask someone because, well, we didn’t know if ...” Fritz glanced back to Larel.
“If you stayed with him,” Larel finished.
Fritz gaped at the Western woman but then turned back to Vhalla with a nod. “So?” Fritz asked.
Even Larel examined her quizzically.
Vhalla sighed. It wasn’t that she had never planned on telling them, or that she hadn’t expected them to find out, but it felt like half the world had discovered her secret within the first few hours of it happening. “Yes, I did.”
Fritz squeaked. He seemed to vibrate with excitement. “Tell—us—everything.” He punctuated his words, making each a demand.
“She doesn’t have to tell us anything,” Larel scolded. He whimpered at the other woman.
“I’m sorry for making you worry, foremost,” Vhalla apologized. “It kind of just, happened ... obviously.” Fritz’s excitement put the giddy feeling back in her chest. “There’s not much to tell, though. We didn’t ...” Vhalla blushed, realizing what people would likely think. “We didn’t even share a bed.” It was a half-truth, they didn’t share a bed for the whole night but she had fallen asleep in his arms and woke up with him next to her.
“Elecia?” Fritz asked.
Vhalla shook her head. “Elecia Ci’Dan is his half-Northern, half-Western, cousin. Aldrik Ci’Dan Solaris,” Vhalla explained. If her face had looked anything like theirs at the revelation of that fact then it was no wonder Aldrik had gained amusement from it.
“Of course,” Larel groaned and put her face into her hands. “We’re so dumb.”
“So then, if you didn’t share his bed ... what did you do?” Fritz seemed genuinely confused.
“He worked, some magic,” Vhalla outlined vaguely.
“You’re adorable,” Larel said knowingly, earning a look from her and Fritz. “You’re going back tonight, aren’t you?”
“How did you ...?” Vhalla wondered if the woman was psychic.
“You are?” Fritz asked, dumbstruck. Vhalla could only blush. “By the Mother, this is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard of ! Prince Aldrik? The Fire Lord? The black prince? He whose temper is short and his wrath is long?”
“And your point is?” Vhalla peered at him.
“He’s acting like a normal man!” Fritz laughed.
Even Larel found a conspiratorial smile. Vhalla hid her face, embarrassed.
Vhalla avoided filling them in on many more details. She’d already inadvertently revealed more than she intended, and she wanted some things kept private. They spared her further inquiry and kept Vhalla company as she filled her pack with a few things for the night.
Hours later, and Vhalla was slipping back into a side alley off a ca
rt path. She glanced about—not a soul was nearby. Vhalla’s heart beat nervously as she prayed that she arrived early enough and hadn’t missed him.
The passage entry swung open and Aldrik wore an excited grin. Vhalla slipped inside and he closed the door, welding it shut. Vhalla placed her hands on his hips and leaned up. He obliged, tilting his head down. Kissing him enflamed a hunger that had been growing throughout the day. Now that she had him, all she wanted was him. Her need was insatiable.
The crown prince sighed softly into her mouth, a deep noise rumbling the back of his throat that she hungrily consumed. Vhalla moved her hands to his neck and he eagerly scooped her up. Vhalla tried to use the passion-heat between them to fuse their bodies from hips to chest. Aldrik clutched her tighter, his fingertips pressing against her woolen tunic as if to bore holes in pursuit of her skin. Vhalla’s lips parted slightly, but he pulled away quickly with a shake of his head.
“We can’t.” His voice was deliciously thick, making her want to be all the closer to him. “Not right now. I have someone I want you to meet.”
Vhalla’s curiosity hid the resentment for having to stop what they had started. Aldrik intertwined his fingers with hers as they walked up the stairs.
“I want you to know,” he said softly, “I trust him completely, so don’t fret. I would’ve told you earlier, but his presence was a surprise for me also.” He didn’t give her a chance to ask who he was talking about as Aldrik pushed open the portal to his room.
Vhalla stepped in first, tentatively. She set her bag next to the hidden door as Aldrik settled it back into place. Vhalla scanned the room, her gaze falling on a man sitting on the couch in its center. There were papers and ledgers spread out on the table, and Vhalla could instantly tell the chaise Aldrik had occupied by the gold-tipped quill and ink that sat out without an owner.
The man stood, and Vhalla brought her hands together, pulling at her fingers. He was as tall as, or maybe even a little taller than, Aldrik. His black hair was cut very short and it seemed to spike up slightly in odd directions. He had a closely trimmed dark beard that ran along his jawline and up his chin to his lower lip. None of this was what startled her though. His eyes were like looking into a mirror image of a very familiar set that she was particularly fond of.
Aldrik walked behind her, placing a palm on the small of her back to help her find her feet again. The man studied her with a guarded gaze as she rounded the bar and crossed the room over to the sitting area. Aldrik held out a hand in the man’s direction.
“Vhalla, meet Ophain Ci’Dan, my mother’s brother and Lord of the West.”
She glanced between the men; Aldrik had a relaxed smile, the other man continued to assess her with interest.
“Vhalla Yarl,” the lord said slowly, his voice was among the deepest she’d ever heard. “I have been looking forward to meeting you.”
VHALLA SOUGHT REAFFIRMATION, and Aldrik gave her a small nod. The Western man extended an open hand to her, and Vhalla tried to smile politely as she took it. The lord’s skin was just as warm as her prince’s, and she wondered if he was a glimpse into Aldrik’s future. He was beginning to grey by his ears, but it gave him a handsome and stately appearance. His shoulders were broader and seemed to carry more muscle.
“My lord, it is an honor to meet you.” Vhalla told herself not to be nervous.
The man nodded and sat upon the couch across from her in an open stance, his arms splayed across the back. Aldrik returned to the chaise he had previously occupied. Vhalla sat on the remaining chaise and folded her hands in her lap, attempting to sit nicely and not fidget.
“I cannot recall any other time when one of the first words out of my nephew’s mouth has been a lady’s name. Combined with hearing that same name on the Emperor’s and the other prince’s lips, well, needless to say, I had no choice but to meet this woman.”
Vhalla wasn’t sure what to feel, knowing she was the subject of so much chatter.
“Then again, had none of this been true, I would have insisted upon meeting you anyways.” Lord Ophain placed his elbows on his knees, folding his hands between them and leaning forward. “After all, you are the first Windwalker in the West in over a hundred years who was not brought in wearing chains.”
“Well, I don’t know if I am free from chains.” Vhalla could not stop the dry remark from escaping.
“Why so?” he asked. Even Aldrik was curious.
Vhalla focused on the prince as she spoke, praying he did not twist her words. “I am the property of the crown. My chains are invisible, but just as heavy.”
Pain flashed through Aldrik’s eyes briefly, but there was no hostility at the truth she bore.
“You did tell me she had a bit of fire in her.” Lord Ophain chuckled at Aldrik before returning his attention back on her. “I know of the accusations against you. And I know of the magic you wield. But what I wish to know most is about the woman behind it all.”
Vhalla noted that he used the word “accusations” instead of “crimes.”
“Well, I was born in an Eastern town called Leoul. It’s west and a little south of Cyven’s capital, Hastan. About three day’s travel from the Western border?” Vhalla had never travelled it herself, but she had heard about the journey from farmers. “When I was eleven, I was brought to the capital by my father and ended up working in the palace as a library apprentice.”
“Which explains how you could come into contact with a prince,” the lord mused.
Vhalla nodded, curling and uncurling her fingers. “Yes, my lord, though it was all rather strange and lucky.”
“There is no such thing as luck, Vhalla.” She prompted him to continue with an inquisitive stare. “The Mother has given us a line to follow until the end of our days. It is filled with meetings and partings, none of which are chance.” He paused before adding, “At least, this is what I choose to believe.”
Vhalla paused, trying to decide how much of that curious statement she considered to be true. “I see, my lord.” She was unsure of what else to say.
“You are skeptical,” he stated with a grin.
“There are a great many things I do not understand; it would be presumptuous to rule out any superficially,” Vhalla retorted, both a truth and a polite response.
“I am sure you are made all the wiser for such an attitude. I can offer you proof, however; should you take it.” She tilted her head, listening intently. “I believe were such things not a fact, then some Firebearers could not use these lines to peer along into a person’s future.”
“Firebearers can?” Vhalla interjected eagerly.
“Some,” Lord Ophain nodded.
“Very few,” Aldrik scoffed. “Most are curiosity shop charlatans with smoke-and-mirror parlor tricks.”
Vhalla decided then to keep the incident with the Firebearer named Vi to herself.
“Fine. Since my nephew seems keen on dismissing that theory.” The lord looked between them knowingly. “The ties that Bond two people together are made of the same red lines of fate.”
Vhalla’s eyes grew wide. Lord Ophain allowed himself a satisfied smile. Her heart began to race and she glanced over at Aldrik. Her prince chuckled softly and shook his head.
“Don’t worry, Vhalla. I trust him,” Aldrik reaffirmed.
She stared in shock at the prince and then back at Lord Ophain. It spoke volumes of the relationship these two shared if Aldrik trusted him with the knowledge of their Bond. Vhalla began to immediately warm up to the Lord of the West.
“To not even be Awoken and form a Bond.” Lord Ophain ran a hand across his chin. “You are a curious creature indeed. I am truly excited for your demonstration tomorrow.”
“It’s tomorrow?” Vhalla asked the room.
“Father told me earlier.” Aldrik nodded.
“Have you thought of introducing her to crystals for all this?” Lord Ophain asked Aldrik.
“No, and do not breathe a word of it to my father,” the prince threatened. “As
far as he is concerned, she cannot handle them without risk of taint, just like any other sorcerer.”
“And how did you get him to believe that?” The Lord of the West seemed impressed.
“I told him I tried.” Aldrik shrugged. “I have been providing him carefully doctored notes based on my own to paint the picture I want him to know.”
“Clever,” Lord Ophain praised.
Vhalla ignored the guilt she felt for ever suspecting that Aldrik would share the intimacies of their Bond without care. “But, I can handle them ...” Vhalla thought back to the stones Minister Victor used on her after she was first Awoken. They had worked so effortlessly with her magic it was as though they’d been made especially for her.
Lord Ophain grinned broadly at Aldrik, clearly excited by her admission. The prince pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Vhalla, don’t repeat that out of this room.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Do you know how the War of the Crystal Caverns was started?” Lord Ophain asked her.
“Well, my father was a soldier during the war ...” Vhalla thought back to what he and her mother had told her. Aldrik was suddenly fascinated with a corner of the room, avoiding the conversation as though it weren’t happening. “He said that it was because of the chaos locked in the crystals escaping and disrupting the Mother’s day and order. That we were fighting the darkness. I read that it also had something to do with sorcerers meddling with forces they shouldn’t.”
“But why were they meddling with those forces? What prompted them to be there?”
Vhalla didn’t have an answer for the lord’s question.
“Uncle, enough of this!” Aldrik was on his feet, his hands clenched into fists. Vhalla could feel the power radiating off him.
“Aldrik, relax. I know when a story is not mine to tell.” The man’s voice was stern, yet it had a gentle touch to it. Aldrik stood rigidly for another moment before his hands fell limply to his sides. His eyes were tired and distant as he huffed over to the bar.
“The Crystal Caverns have long been a mysterious enigma,” Lord Ophain continued, ignoring his temperamental nephew. “Some claim it to be the gate to the dark realm that the Father built to keep our world separate. Others theorize it’s solidification of raw magic from when the Gods created life. No matter what you choose to believe, there is something about the properties of the stones that can be found there which can alter a sorcerer’s natural abilities.” The lord took a sip from his drink. “The war was started because people had returned to the Caverns in another failed attempt to claim its powers for their own selfish greed—powers that have the potential to warp even the strongest of sorcerers, faster even than a Commons because of a sorcerer’s magic Channels.”