“I leave you in his care,” Baldair said after a long internal debate.
Vhalla wanted to scream at the prince’s back as he walked away. What did he think he was doing? She was going to find Baldair, sit him down, and make him tell her everything that went on in that confounding head of his.
But, for now, Vhalla’s attention finally returned to the inevitable: Daniel. His eyes shone with earnest remorse. She crossed her arms.
“Let’s talk as we walk,” he suggested.
Vhalla nodded and dragged her feet half a step behind him, focusing on the ground.
“You were right,” Daniel began. “I was the one who presumed.” He tilted his head up to the sky, watching the cloud wisps drift through a canvas of endless blue. “You owe me nothing for spending time with me. You can do so without it meaning anything, or, well, anything that you don’t intend for it to mean.”
His apology was both justifying and guilt inducing. “
Truthfully, I think we both wanted the same thing: forgetfulness of the holes in our hearts left by others.” Daniel paused briefly, glancing down at her. Vhalla met his eyes. Their hazel colors were nothing special; pull any ten Easterners and nine of them would have some variation of the shade. But the way they shone then, the way the sun hit his raw honesty and sincerity. He was stunning. “I can’t fault you for seeking something to fill the void when I was doing the same.”
“Well, that doesn’t make it right,” Vhalla finally spoke. She brought her hands together, paying attention to her feet more than the soldiers around them, the camp, or wherever it was he was leading her to. “You just said so yourself. I was using you for something.” The confession was barely a whisper.
“Just because something isn’t right doesn’t make it wrong.” Daniel’s tone shifted, and it sent a small tingle up Vhalla’s spine. “Tell me something. During all this ‘using’, were you unhappy?”
“No, but—”
“Then it couldn’t have been wrong,” he spoke with confidence. “I was happy, you were happy. Let’s not worry so much over what it was or is. Let’s not try to make it into something it’s not. You can make your own decisions, and trust that I know such. You can do what you wish and—” he faltered briefly, but long enough for Vhalla to witness, “—with whom you wish. So, let’s put it all behind us?”
Vhalla reflected on the time she’d had with Daniel. It was strange to think that, were it not for the war and her situation, she would’ve never even met him. Marching with him, training with him, as both Serien and Vhalla, had been enjoyable. Maybe more than she should’ve enjoyed. Vhalla’s cheeks felt warm. “All right.”
Daniel assessed the large tower that had appeared before them. But his eyes weren’t seeing it. They had a look that instilled the same feeling Vhalla had felt when she saw Elecia and Aldrik together, before she’d known of their kinship.
Her throat felt gummy. She didn’t want to do this to him; Daniel was her very dear friend, and there was something that felt so wrong about the position he was in.
As if sensing her concern, Daniel returned his attention to her, laughing lightly at her terror-stricken face. “Don’t be so worried, Vhalla.” He slung an arm around her shoulders and shook her lightly. “I won’t utter a word and am still your ally. I can remain that for eternity. Or perhaps something more if you ever desire it and the mutual opportunity arises.”
Vhalla opened her mouth, but she wasn’t even sure what she would’ve said and the world spared her from figuring it out. It preserved the delicate stasis between them that Vhalla was more than relieved to have back.
“So, that’s what the majors decided was the most important tower to be moved.” He pointed, and Vhalla realized instantly why he had been against moving it in the first place.
She had thought it some kind of other structure, it was so tall. The battle tower was a large triangle with landings for archers to hide within and slats on the side. Extending from it were large spikes that reached outward in all directions, ready to impale any who may have the misfortune to be thrust upon it.
“How does it move?” Vhalla walked around the growing crowd. It appeared while she was wrapped up in her and Daniel’s hushed conversation, the other soldiers had taken notice of the Windwalker in her dramatically tattered cape. They showed a mix of awe and a dark sort of fascination.
“We didn’t build them with the intent to move them.” Daniel grinned.
“Is it structurally sound?” she asked. “
Likely,” Daniel apologetically replied.
“Lovely.” She rolled her eyes. “I accept no responsibility if I break it.”
“Now you’re speaking like a lady.” He grinned.
Vhalla ignored the statement, the Emperor’s comments too fresh in her mind.
“Clear out!” she called, clenching her fists. Her Channel rushed to meet her, and Vhalla took a breath.
“You heard her, clear out!” Daniel shouted in the voice that was easily heard over men and women sparring. Soldiers began to scatter. When he turned back to her, she gave him a nod in appreciation. “At your leisure, Windwalker!”
Vhalla took a step into the circle of people toward the tower wall. She felt their eyes on her. Some were the excited ones who’d seen her prior feats, eagerly whispering to their friends. Others were the skeptics with their heads cocked and their arms folded.
She saw Tim and faltered. The girl seemed horrified at the state of the cloak she’d returned. Tim couldn’t have been the one to send the message, Vhalla tried to tell herself. But whoever was behind it, Vhalla hoped they understood her blatant reply.
Holding out her hands, Vhalla tested the structure with small bursts of air. The wall creaked, and puffs of dust sighed out of its corners. Vhalla felt out where it seemed to withstand the most pressure.
A few chuckled and Vhalla smirked; they thought that was her attempt. She pressed her palms down—even, she had to keep her movements even. Vhalla swept up her hands at the same time and the building lifted a hands length off the ground.
More pressure, more upward current. She tapped farther into her Channel. The wall groaned and swayed. Soldiers scampered fearfully out of the way as it tilted midair. Vhalla moved her hand as she felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple.
Upright again, she realized she had to apply force on all sides at the top for stability, but the majority of the force needed to be applied from the bottom for lift. She got control of it in the air and allowed herself to turn to Daniel and the other majors that had amassed, including the full Golden Guard. If she wasn’t putting forth so much energy into lifting the structure, she would have laughed at their expressions.
“Lead on,” she called for anyone to move.
Vhalla had control, but it was difficult at best, and she wanted to move as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Daniel recovered from his awe faster than others, and he strode forward. Vhalla watched in her own amazement as he walked directly under the tower, putting total faith in her magic. Her chest swelled at the healing symbolism of the act. Daniel’s hair whipped around his face from the torrents of air at the base of the tower before he crossed to the other side.
Magic and walking, or moving in general, always had its own complications. Vhalla’s first steps were more like a shuffle across the dirt. Eventually she managed to hold the tower up and push it forward without knocking it over at the same time, but it was a delicate process that left Daniel glancing down constantly to see if she was too far behind.
They continued curving around the fortress, one slow step at a time. Vhalla was panting when she realized they were only halfway. One foot, and then the next, she followed dutifully, and the mass of people seemed to follow her at her pace. The minutes crawled alongside her tiny steps.