Fire Falling (30 page)

“I’m not sure. I suppose I’ll go back and ... see what everyone else is up to.” Vhalla shrugged.

“Will you return tonight?” Aldrik paused, searching for her reaction.

“Tonight?” She hadn’t thought of it.

“Yes, my parrot.” He grinned at her scowl. “Tonight, will you come back?” Aldrik placed his papers carefully on the pillows she previously occupied. He returned his quill to the inkpot on the bedside table.

“Do you wish it?” Vhalla wanted to hear him say it directly.

“I do.” Aldrik nodded.

“Then I will.”

“Do you wish it?” he returned the question.

“Of course I do.” Aldrik seemed relieved by her response. “Being near you is—”

There was a pounding on the door; they both looked out to the other room. Vhalla turned back to him, a deep scowl written across Aldrik’s features.

“Brother?” a voice boomed from the hallway. “Are you awake?”

“Stay here,” he said softly to her.

Vhalla nodded silently.

Aldrik swung his feet off the bed and stood. He started for the door and paused briefly. Wrapping his hand around the back of her head, Aldrik leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly. She beamed up at him and he gave her a tired smile.

He closed the sliding paper-screen doors behind him as he left the room. Vhalla fell back on the bed with a contented sigh. She would be happy to never leave the Crossroads. The war could just go on as it was, and the Emperor could return back to the South to rule. She would be happy if she and Aldrik could hide away here forever.

Vhalla held her breath as she heard the door open.

“Good morning, brother.” She could hear Prince Baldair entering the room as he spoke, even though Vhalla was fairly certain that he hadn’t been given permission to by his older brother.

“Baldair,” Aldrik said curtly. Even she had a hard time imagining that voice belonging to the man who laid kisses upon her moments before. “To what do I owe this ...
pleasure
?”

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” the younger brother inquired.

“Clearly not,” Aldrik sighed. “Is that all you came for?”

“Ah no, scouts have arrived. The Western forces will be joining us within an hour, two at most.” Vhalla heard Prince Baldair’s voice drawing closer.

“Oh? Excellent, I shall need to prepare for their arrival then.” Aldrik’s voice was also louder.

Vhalla sat.
Should she hide?

Aldrik’s shadow appeared on the other side of the carved doors, blocking his brother’s path. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Good morning, Vhalla,” Prince Baldair called.

Her stomach turned to stone.
One night
, she had indulged herself for one night and the world couldn’t even give her that.

“You look rather foolish shouting at empty rooms,” Aldrik drawled.

She wondered how he kept his composure so well.

“You look rather foolish, brother, for being caught with something so simple,” Prince Baldair retorted. “You picked this place for their security, for their record keeping.” His laughter rang out and Vhalla winced, wondering how she ever thought it to be a charming sound. “It’s amazing for you to make a mistake so simple.”

“And what, pray tell, is that mistake?” Aldrik growled.

Vhalla’s heart raced. She didn’t have to see him to know his jaw was clenched tight; he might even have a hand in a fist, he was telling his brother exactly what he wanted to hear without using a single word.

“A one Miss Vhalla Yarl was recorded in last night, but was never recorded out,” Prince Baldair proclaimed, almost victoriously. Vhalla wanted to panic, but the first emotion was a strange curiosity—Prince Baldair was checking on his brother. That wasn’t information he could have accidently happened across. “Really, brother, it isn’t like you; it’s sloppy.”

“It sounds like all that is sloppy is their record keeping,” Aldrik attempted.

She wondered if it sounded more convincing to a person who wasn’t her.

“What do you both think you’re doing?” Prince Baldair retorted. He was clearly not buying what Aldrik was selling.

“Nothing that you need to concern yourself with,” Aldrik snarled.

Vhalla cringed, realizing what was coming.

“Oh? No more denials?” Aldrik’s brother had caught him in his own words. “Do not let yourself be played by him, Vhalla.”

She bit her lip to keep from calling out and putting the younger prince in his place.

“Enough of this.
Out, Baldair
.” Aldrik’s patience was almost gone.

“Fine, Aldrik, if you wish to be that way.” She heard the click of Prince Baldair’s boots fading away. “But you should doctor the book before Father has a chance to see.”

“Thank you,” Aldrik said begrudgingly.

Vhalla blinked. He was thanking his brother, after all that? She couldn’t fathom a reason.

“I’ll see you within an hour.” The door closing signaled the younger prince’s departure.

Aldrik pulled back the sliding doors, and Vhalla stared at him hopelessly. He picked up on her emotion and crossed quickly to sit next to her, taking her hands in his.

“It’s okay.” He raised her knuckles to his lips. “It’s all right.”

“But ...” she protested weakly.

“I’ll change the book. It will be no trouble.” Aldrik cupped her cheek.

“Your brother?” she asked.

“Ignore him,” Aldrik sighed.

“Why is he like this?” Vhalla asked, allowing her prince’s touch to calm her.

“It’s a long story between us. But for now, I must go change that book before it has a chance to be brought to my father’s attention.”

Judging from the way Aldrik spoke, it was a long story she would not be hearing. “What would happen if your father saw it?” Vhalla knew Prince Baldair entertained women all the time. While she hardly wanted to be thought as that type of woman, especially to Aldrik, it seemed rather unfair one brother could get away with having women in his room and the other could not.

“Don’t worry yourself with it,” he sighed.

“What would happen?” she pressed. “Aldrik, stop shutting me out. Even if you think it’s for my own good.”

He averted his eyes. “I need to prepare for the troop arrival.”

“
What would happen?
” she snapped. He looked back at her, startled. Vhalla took a deep breath, calming herself. “Just tell me.”

“After I gave my testimony at your trial, my father spoke with me.” The prince’s voice was faint and his eyes never found hers. “He asked if you were going to be a problem.”

“A problem?” she whispered. Something about his tone unnerved her more than the entire exchange with Prince Baldair.

“A ...
distraction
from my obligations.” He finally turned back to her. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Vhalla was confused.

The prince just sighed and rested his forehead in his palm. “I told my father that I saw you for what you were. A tool that we needed and nothing more. That I had you in my palms, and you would do as I told you. That it—
we
—were nothing more than a means to that end.” Her chest tightened at the weakness in his voice. “Vhalla, I don’t—”

“I know.” She cut him off. It hurt to hear he said it, but she knew he only did what he felt was best. Or at least, she hoped. He looked at her skeptically and she squeezed his hand lightly.

“My father told me that he hoped I was correct because too much rested on my shoulders for the Empire to exhaust or invest much on a common girl, no matter how magically special.” Aldrik rolled his eyes at the paraphrased statements.

“Your brother was there, wasn’t he?” Vhalla realized.

Aldrik gave her a small nod.

If not for your sake, then his,
Prince Baldair’s words repeated in her mind.
He’s using you, Vhalla.
It made her pause. Baldair would’ve seen all of Aldrik’s interactions with her in a very different light than she did—as the object of the crown prince’s affections.

“What will your father do? If he ...”

“If he found out you stayed the night with me?” Aldrik asked. “Or that I’ve fallen in love with that special common girl?” He smiled sadly at her.

“Both?” Vhalla reminded her insides that now was not the time to be fluttering.

“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.