The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams (6 page)

“I suppose they did, now that you mention it.
They do live in hives as you call it, and they do tend to prefer
subterranean areas. They are thick under the palace. Why?” Charm
said, his grey eyes filled with interest.

“I think I know how to clear out Eldagar,”
Shade said quietly, and smiled faintly.

“You know how to clear a massive amount of
Blights from a city that has never fallen?” Charm asked
skeptically.

Smiling wider Shade nodded. “Yes I do, but go
ahead and rest. We can talk it over once you have slept.”

Charm’s eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed
on the point of arguing. He was obviously curious but in the end
fatigue won out. Nodding his acceptance, he leaned back in the seat
and closed his eyes again.

With another smile, Shade turned his
attention to the flight ahead and working out the minor details of
his plan. It was an unconventional one to be sure, but it would
work.

Sanctuary

Jala tried to focus on the road ahead but her
eyes kept trailing back to Valor. His tall bay horse was prancing
sideways down the road with every point of it glittering in the
sunlight. Bright emeralds flashed from the bridle and saddle, with
smaller diamonds sparkling among them. His saddle blanket was heavy
black silk with silver thread embroidery and she was positive the
bit in the horse’s mouth was solid gold. Between the horse’s
regalia and Valor’s own perfectly tailored suit of black and silver
she felt like she was riding with royalty.

“You have a beautiful horse, Valor,” she said
at last, unable to keep silent about the spectacle any longer. “Is
his bit actually gold?”

Finn gave a shake of his head at her and
rolled his eyes. “You will regret that,” he muttered under his
breath.

Valor turned his attention back from the
crowded streets and smiled at her. “Did you not have a chance to
see Vanguard at the spring games?” he asked, and gave her a look
that suggested she had missed one of the most important events of
her life. “And, no, the bit isn’t solid gold. That is far too soft
a metal. It’s plated,” he said, patting the horse on the neck.

“I suppose I must have missed seeing you
joust,” she admitted with a shrug. She was positive she would have
noticed a knight with a gem encrusted horse on the field. The
bridle alone was worth enough to feed a large city for a week. She
had only gone to the first day of the Joust and then spent the rest
of the games wandering through the markets. On the day she had
gone, the armor and horses had been impressive but nothing like
what Valor wore now.

“Well we will have to make sure you see it
this year. The Joust truly is the best part of the Spring Games.
It’s what most come to see you know.” He patted the horse’s neck
again and smiled proudly. “And Vanguard is the best horse on the
field there. He is sired by Wilhaven’s Roan stallion who goes back
to Selvin’s Glorified, an excellent animal, probably the best in
Arovan, or he was before Vanguard was foaled. On the top side
anyway. On the bottom he is of Archlen stock with a pedigree that
goes back to Foxfire who was known as one of the best chargers ever
to take the field from any land. Foxfire’s line is rare now since
he was lost in the last Seravae conflict.”

Jala blinked a time or two and looked to
Finn. “I have no idea what he is talking about,” she whispered.

“Valor, she doesn’t know Arovan horse
bloodlines. You are just babbling to yourself and not impressing
her at all,” Finn called to Valor who looked ready to continue the
genealogy of his horse.

“He knows his horse’s lines better than I
know my family lines,” Jala said with a sigh. She hadn’t even named
her gelding yet, though she had a feeling that wasn’t something to
mention to Valor after his recital. After Marrow’s teasing her
about Cap’s name she was hesitant to try to choose one and had
decided to wait until the perfect one came to mind.

“Well how is she supposed to learn if I don’t
tell her?” Valor asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I think she has enough on her plate to learn
without the addition of pointless equine bloodlines,” Finn
countered with a smile.

“Pointless?” Valor demanded, turning to lock
his gaze on Finn.

Smothering laughter, Finn looked to Jala and
shrugged. “In Avanti, you show prestige by clothing and jewels. In
Firym, it’s weapons and skills. In Arovan, it’s your horse,” he
explained.

She raised an eyebrow and let her gaze travel
across Valor from his glittering horse to the silk and linen of his
suit, to the finely polished long sword at his side. “So Valor is
in fashion in any district,” she observed.

“Valor is what practical people call a
dandy,” Finn said with a smirk.

Turning slowly to look at Finn she made a
point of letting her gaze slowly travel across his own mount and
silver filigreed tack, then up his shiny knee-high black boots to
the pair of swords in their gleaming scabbards, resting finally on
his face. “And what are you?” she asked in amusement.

“Talented, handsome, charming, and feared,”
he answered smoothly with a smirk.

“Arrogant, vain, smug, and a bully,” Valor
corrected with his own smirk.

“Bully?” Finn complained, looking at Valor
with a wounded expression. “I’m no more of a bully than you
are.”

“Technically I think most would consider us
both bullies,” Valor said with a shrug. “We do tend to get our way,
either through charm or force,”

Finn shrugged carelessly. “And what’s wrong
with that?” he asked lazily.

“Depends on how you bully and who,” Jala
said, bringing the gazes of both men to her. She shrugged her
shoulders at them and sighed. “Well, if you are bullying a Rivasan
or Cassia I likely won’t care. They earn it as far as I can see. If
you two make a habit of being bullies to those that don’t deserve
it though, you are asses,” she clarified.

“You have married a judgmental woman, Finn
Sovaesh,” Valor said haughtily and smirked at Finn.

“I don’t bully those that don’t deserve it so
I’m not too worried,” Finn said and let his gaze drift across the
crowded streets to the looming archway ahead of them. “Have you
ever been to Arovan’s district, Jala?” he asked.

Shaking her head, she studied the arch as
they rode under it. It was a dark metal of some kind, though she
couldn’t say exactly what. The top of it was carved in the likeness
of two knights jousting with trails of engraved flowers covering
the sides. The city beyond was so different from the one she had
left she caught herself glancing back through the arch just to make
sure they hadn’t, in fact, used a portal.

Small cozy houses lined both sides of the
street, made in a charming beam and stucco style. The spaces
between the houses were wide and open with garden plots or pools of
water alternating. Her gaze was drawn to the sound of splashing and
giggling, and for a moment she watched several children at play in
one of the pools before returning to her sightseeing. No matter
where she looked, the city was clean with grass and trees lining
the streets. There was no sign of trash strewn alleys or beggars.
Rounding a corner, they began to ride up a small hill toward a
massive manor house.

“Does your brother rule here?” Jala asked,
gazing at the house in awe. It stood like an ivy clad sentinel
above the city with two massive willows flanking it on either side.
The lawn stretching out before it was manicured with a spectacular
array of topiary.

Valor shook his head and grinned like a
mischievous child. “He is more like the captain of guards here.”
She could hear the amusement in his voice.

“While you are simply the lawn ornament of
the family,” Finn grinned.

Valor eyed him with a dry expression, his
amusement gone. “I am increasing the family’s reputation through my
higher learning and success at the Spring Games,” Valor declared
smugly.

“While decreasing it with your lechery and
gambling habits. I see it’s a balancing act,” Finn said, his voice
filled with feigned understanding.

Valor pursed his lips and then burst into
laughter and nodded to Finn. “Essentially,” he said and Finn joined
him in merriment.

Shaking her head at them and smiling, Jala
focused on the topiary and her eyes lingered on the form of a
Bendazzi. “Look, Marrow, now I know what you would look like
green,” she said, riding a bit closer to the leafy rendition. The
details on it had been done with loving care. Small glass pieces
had even been set for its eyes.

“Don’t get too close, that’s a golem,” Valor
warned, pulling his horse to a stop while she examined the gardens.
“They are one of the house defenses and will awaken if you disturb
them.”

“It is?” Jala asked staring at it with more
fascination. Pulling back gently on her reins she brought her
gelding to a halt and dismounted. Marrow paced up beside her and
sniffed suspiciously at the shrubbery.

All in all it is a horrible representation
of me, it looks so harmless
. He stalked in a circle around the
creation and froze, his head dropping and his ears flattening to
his skull.

“What?” Jala asked in concern. She hadn’t
felt the awakening of the magic but the Bendazzi had proven time
and time again his senses were more acute.

There are flowers sprouting from its back.
Bloody flowers sprouting from a Bendazzi. I can see my kind need to
hunt more in Arovan
. Marrow’s voice was indignant and Jala had
to bite her lip to keep the smile from her face.

“
I can feel your amusement
,” the
Bendazzi reminded her dryly.

“I think it’s beautiful. It suits you well.
Beautiful and deadly. There really is no need to take offense,
Marrow,” she said in a soothing voice and moved over to stand
beside him. She studied the flowers and bit her lip harder and then
turned away just before the laughter burst from her.

“
What
!” Marrow demanded following
after her.

“Nothing,” she replied, quickly remounting
her gelding and wiping a hand across her face before looking back
at the Bendazzi who was glaring up at her with yellow eyes. Shaking
her head she gave him a sweet smile. “It’s nothing really,” she
assured him. “It’s just in Merro, those flowers are called Kitten’s
Paw, for the shape and the fuzz on them. I’m sure they thought it
was clever, or perhaps Arovan has another name for the plant,” she
explained when he remained unmoving, his gaze locked on her.

“In Arovan, they are called Pussy Foot,”
Valor supplied helpfully. “Really I think Kitten’s Paw is a much
better name, let’s just use the Merro name,” he added after another
snarl from Marrow and turned his horse toward the back of the
house. “I think we should find my brother. So much to do today,” he
said quickly and kicked his horse to a trot.

Finn smirked and looked down at Marrow. “It’s
just a flower,” he reassured the Bendazzi and shrugged. “At least
they didn’t use flowers for the entire thing,” He offered and
motioned toward topiary farther off. “The fairy display is made
entirely of Blue Bonnets and Fox Bloom. It could be worse.”

Jala admired the fairy display briefly and
rode after Valor. “Are they all golems?” she asked Finn, guessing
he would have the answer.

“Val told me three out of five were, but he
wouldn’t say which three. I had no idea the Bendazzi was one,
though I should have guessed. Had I been the one arranging it I
would have chosen the fairies and the squirrel. The Bendazzi is
intimidating enough just standing there in the evening. Trust me,
Marrow, you can’t see the flowers at all when it’s a shadowy
outline on the yard,” Finn said falling into place beside her.

Valor stopped his horse at the corner of the
manor and leaned back in his saddle. There was a commotion ahead of
him, though she couldn’t tell what it was. Riding up beside him,
Jala watched as a man clung for dear life in the saddle of a dark
grey horse that was twisting in the air. They were inside a corral
and another man stood in the center holding the lead to the horse
forcing its movements in a circle rather than close to the wooden
rails. With another squall the grey hit the earth with bone jarring
force and launched itself airborne once more twisting with more
dexterity than she knew a horse had. Her black gelding flicked its
ears in interest and snorted while Valor’s more excitable bay
danced in place and rose slightly on his hind legs. Her attention
was drawn to a third man and a woman leaning against the corral
gate. The man’s back was turned so she couldn’t see his face. He
had dark brown hair and was dressed in green and black clothing
that looked well-tailored from what she could see. The woman beside
him wore a gown of pale ivory with embroidery of every color lining
the skirts in fanciful patterns. Her silver hair was pinned up,
showing slender delicate features. A wide smile on her pouty lips.
Her skirts fluttered to one side and revealed a small girl that had
been standing close by the gate, clutching at what must have been
her mother.

“Is that your brother and his wife?” Jala
asked Valor quietly.

The knight’s attention had been fully upon
the spectacle in the corral. At her words, his gaze flicked briefly
to the man and woman. “No, that is Sebastian Blackwolf and my
sister Chastity, his wife. My brother is the man about to be thrown
in the corral.”

Jala nodded slightly and studied the man by
the gate a bit longer while his attention was away. She hadn’t had
a chance to meet any of the Shifters yet and while the Blackwolf
line was rumored to be very strong in the Shifter powers she could
see no sign of animal traits on Sebastian - well, at least not from
this angle.

“He looks perfectly normal aside from the
shade of his eyes,” Finn said as if reading her mind. “And Chastity
looks far primmer and much more proper than she actually is, so be
prepared. She is the female version of me I think. Bluntly honest
and totally uncaring if she offends.”