“I see. Well, you must keep me informed as to your successes, my lord,” Victor hummed.
“I must?” The room seemed to still.
“A figure of speech,” Victor spoke cautiously. “You know I am nothing but your humble servant. Though I do hope you continue to include me in your plans so that I may advise you to the best of my abilities.”
“I hope so, Victor.” The Emperor’s voice could turn water to ice. “Because I had one errant Minister of Sorcery, and I do not care what you know or can do, I will not tolerate a second.”
“You have nothing to fear, my lord.”
The door swung open, propped by Victor, for the Emperor to stride out from the room. She had thought he would head down the Tower, but she had guessed wrong. As his footsteps neared, her heart raced and Vhalla pressed deeper into the door behind her.
A cold dread swept over her, and Vhalla held her breath, wishing she could be invisible and thinking of every frantic excuse. The Emperor passed by, so quickly he blurred before her eyes and didn’t even glance in her direction. Vhalla blinked, her fingers nearly trembling with nerves, as the Emperor’s footsteps faded away and disappeared.
Closing her eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief, only to open them and discover herself face to face with the Minister of Sorcery. Victor stared her down with his cerulean eyes, and Vhalla scowled up at him. How could she have thought he was on her side?
She pushed herself away from the door, to be caught by icy-cold fingers and wrenched back by force. Vhalla raised a hand, prepared to attack.
“I think we have much to discuss.” Victor leveled his eyes with hers, stilling her immediate aggression with a look.
“I have nothing to discuss with you.” Vhalla narrowed her eyes at him.
“You must let me explain.”
“I mustn’t do anything you say, traitor!” she seethed. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was her enemy, too. They all were her enemies. Vhalla clenched the saddlebag tighter.
“You heard.” Victor looked utterly deflated. He took a deep breath, still holding her in place. “I remember, I remember you don’t do well with force.” The minister slowly relinquished his grip on her. “So let me bargain with you.”
“What could you possibly want to bargain?” He had nothing he could offer.
“Here’s my deal.” The minister glanced down the hall nervously. “Give me a chance to explain, to tell you everything I know and show that I am not your enemy. If I succeed, your trust is my prize. Should I fail, then you should go and hide that bag and tell no one what I suspect are its contents. And I promise to never ask on it or tell a soul.”
“Like I would ever trust you,” she spat, pushing away from the wall and starting down the hall.
“Why do you think I used illusion to make you invisible?”
Vhalla stopped, turning to face him.
“If I wished you ill, don’t you think I would’ve let the Emperor see you? That alcove isn’t small enough to hide you. I saw your robes from my door; he would’ve seen you without trouble were it not for me.”
She swallowed, trying to counter the logic. “Fine, you have your deal.”
Vhalla threw open the door to his office, stomping in without permission. By the time the minister closed it behind him, she’d stormed over to the window, gripping the sill with a hand. He stood silently, letting her work though the words.
“You had me bring it here for him?”
“Not for him,” Victor denied.
“No, I heard you, you—you had me find it so he could turn his bloodlust on a whole new continent? A whole new people?” She whirled in place. “What does he want?”
Victor shrugged. “What does any man want when they have tasted power? To rule the world.”
“And he wants me to help him do it,” Vhalla filled in the blank.
“He does.”
“He wants me to open the power of the Crystal Caverns. He wants me to use this.” Vhalla held out the bag. “He wants to make monsters and perform feats of magic men should never perform.”
“He does.” Victor’s cool responses were working her to a fever pitch.
“And you, you bend to his will. You’re going to hand me over to do it for him. To be his thing, his tool, his wretch of death!” she shrieked.
Victor crossed the room and placed an arm around her shoulders, leading her to one