The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes (39 page)

“We started a war,” Neph corrected with a
smile and looked back to Emily. “The short hair looks nice,” he
said with a nod causing both women to stare at him in shock. A
compliment from Neph was as rare as a snowflake in summer. “The
outfit looks as though you were dressed by a blind beggar but the
hair is good.”

“You had to add to it didn’t you,” Emily
sighed with a shake of her head. It had nearly taken having Marrow
lay on Emily to hold her down for Jala to accomplish cutting the
Blight’s hair. It had seemed the most practical thing to do, given
how much Emily detested taking care of long hair.

Jala smiled faintly and glanced to the other
side of the room. “Did you sense any guilt or remorse on any of
them, Ash?” she asked quietly and had to fight back the urge to
smile as Neph spun around in his chair to stare in the direction
she was looking.

“Valor had remorse when he looked at his
fellow knight, but there was no guilt in the room beyond your own,
Milady,” Ash replied in a whisper as he slowly materialized from
the shadows at the back of the room.

“Do you have anyone else hidden in here?”
Neph demanded, turning in his chair once more to face her.

“Did you know Soulreavers can read emotions
as well as Empaths can? It’s truly amazing what they can do with
their spirit magic. Taking the form of a spirit, for example. I had
no idea they could do that either. As silent as a ghost in a
literal sense,” Jala said as she watched Ash cross the room to take
a seat at the table beside her. “They are also utterly immune to
the powers of Empaths as well as Enchantments,” she added, her eyes
locking with Neph’s. “I need you to do something for me, Neph, and
I need it to be done silently.”

Neph frowned, his expression growing serious
as he looked around the table and then slowly back to her. “What?”
he asked cautiously.

“I need you to arrange a marriage for me. I
cannot do it myself because of the laws of the land. I’ve tried
marriage for love. Now I have to accept marriage for politics. I
need an army, Neph, and I need one by spring. I know Valor is
building one but they won’t be seasoned and they will be affected
by the Avanti enchantments,” Jala said softly, her throat growing
tight as she spoke. She had discussed her plan with Ash already and
it was a solid idea, but the thought of another marriage made her
almost physically ill. She couldn’t imagine lying next to someone
else while her heart still screamed for Finn.

“With Seravae?” Neph said, his eyes moving
from Jala to Ash and then back.

Jala nodded slowly and let out her breath. It
was a force of will to keep her eyes from growing glassy as she
spoke. “I’ve talked it over with Ash and I believe it is my best
option. Every other nation is either already fighting or my enemy.
Seravae is the only neutral country left aside from Nerathane and I
fully expect Nerathane to side with Rivana very soon,” she
explained.

“Lord Jexon is married to a girl from Rivana
at the present. Therefore any marriage arrangements will fall to
the next worthy man in line. Any who qualify as a Warlord in my
land would be an option, though some are more fitting than others
for this. The rings of mastery they possess determine how many they
are fit to lead. So the more trained they are, the more soldiers
they have available,” Ash said softly.

“Ash has twenty-eight rings,” Jala added
quietly.

“You are going to marry Ash?” Neph choked the
words and stared openly at Ash who simply smiled in return.

“Once you make the proper arrangements for
me,” Jala agreed with a nod. “As I said, we have discussed it. As
it turns out it is quite beneficial to both of us. Ash cannot gain
more status in his lands due to the fact that the current High Lord
fears him. So he needs a land other than Seravae to call home. I
have land and he will have soldiers. We will both win in this.”

“And I understand that Jala is grieving and I
expect nothing from her in the ways of a wife. I simply see our
marriage contract as a way for both of us to attain our goals. I
will be free of my father’s rule and she will have the army she
needs,” Ash said with a faint smile.

Neph looked between them once more and leaned
back in his seat, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with one hand. “You
know Arovan despises Seravae, right? And you have three hundred
Arovan knights living here.”

“I’ve considered that. Ash assures me that
there are different factions in his land and the one that he is
allied with are not raiders. I’m hoping that fact might reduce the
pending hostility a bit,” Jala said with a sigh and shrugged. “It
is the best option I see, Neph. I regret that there will be
difficulties from it, but it is better than losing to Avanti.”

“When do you plan to do this?” Neph asked
still skeptical.

“As soon as the curse on Goswin is lifted,”
Jala answered softly. “When we go to Goswin, you will leave for
Seravae if you agree to help.”

“I can’t believe you are sending me instead
of Jail for this,” Neph said, shaking his head slightly. “I am
scarcely a diplomat, Jala,” he objected mildly.

“I trust you, Neph,” Jala said bluntly and
searched his face for some sign of his answer.

Neph let out his breath in a heavy sigh and
rubbed his face. “I don’t like this. I know a few of the laws from
Seravae. Wives are property there, Jala. If it was anyone but Ash,
I would be trying to shake some sense into you right now.” Neph
stared at Ash for a long moment and sighed again. “He has shown
honor, though, so I will do as you ask. I’m not responsible for
anyone I might kill while playing ambassador, though. If they annoy
me, I will get rid of them,” he warned her.

“Speaking of killing. That was Death magic
you used earlier wasn’t it,” Jala said with a faint smile.

Neph nodded slowly and his frown deepened. “I
don’t think I would admit that to anyone else. Death magic is
forbidden in every land and simply having the knowledge of those
spells is enough reason for execution in places,” Neph said
cautiously.

“I always wondered why you kept your room so
dark when you read and now I finally understand. If anyone actually
does manage to scry on you they can’t read what you are studying
between the darkness and the glow from the light runes you have on
your walls,” Jala said and nodded slowly. “Clever, Neph, and you
know I won’t tell anyone. I do however expect you to teach me.”

Neph shook his head at her slowly and smiled.
“You don’t want much do you, Jala? Ambassador and teacher of
forbidden arts,” he grumbled.

“And that is just the beginning, Neph,” Jala
promised him with a bitter smile as she stood from the table.
“Thank you for agreeing to help,” Jala added and nodded to Emily
then Ash. “I’m going to go spend time with my son now. I think my
time for simply relaxing is coming swiftly to an end and I want as
much time with Legacy as I can manage,” she said as she crossed the
room and slowly opened the door.

“Jala,” Neph called before she could step
through the door. Turning she looked back at him with a raised
eyebrow. “Are you planning to tell Valor what you are going to do?”
he asked softly.

“I am. I’m simply trying to figure out how to
do it,” Jala assured him. She knew quite well how much Valor
despised Seravae and had absolutely no idea how to tell him her
plans. The fact that she was keeping the secret from him was bad
enough, but the thought of telling him the truth was even worse. It
was a topic she would have to broach very soon, but not today.

Goswin

Snow covered the landscape in a pristine
white blanket for as far as she could see. Jala turned slowly in a
full circle, looking over the tree covered hills with a sense of
wonder. Not even animal tracks disrupted the perfect beauty. It was
completely untouched aside from the small patch of ground her group
stood upon. “It’s beautiful,” she said softly.

“And cold,” Sovann added as he watched his
breath fog in the air. “I prefer our lands by far.” The mage rubbed
his hands together briskly and then tucked them under his arms as
he studied the area. It had been his magic that had brought them
here, despite his reservations about the fluxes in the magic.

“Should we inform Anthe that we are here?”
Valor asked quietly. He stood to her left, fully clad in the
shining armor he had been working on for days. Jala watched him for
a moment, her eyes lingering on the engraved Bendazzi that stood
proudly on the dark purple breastplate. The colors of Merro suited
him well and he was an impressive sight.

“I believe she knows we are here,” Jala
replied and turned her attention to the large trees that marked the
beginning of the Tolanteer forest. There was no sign of movement
there yet, but her gut instincts told her the witches of the forest
knew what was happening.

“Anthe the Seer,” Madren reminded them all.
“There is nothing that happens that she doesn’t have foreknowledge
of.”

Jala nodded her agreement and shifted her
staff to rest in the crook of her arm as she let out a long slow
breath. “It might be best if you all stand back from me. I’m not
sure exactly how this is going to go,” she advised as she pulled
her gloves free. The chill winter air bit at her bare skin, but she
ignored it. She heard the sound of footsteps as Sovann and Madren
retreated to a safer distance, then looked to Valor who hadn’t
moved an inch.

“I’m fine where I am,” Valor informed her as
he caught her glance.

“The magic, though, Valor. I’m going to be
channeling a lot of it and I’m not sure if it’s safe beside me,”
Jala pressed her voice filled with concern.

“And I’m fine where I am,” Valor repeated,
folding his arms across his chest and staring down at her
stubbornly.

Letting out a sigh, Jala shook her head and
wrapped her hand firmly around her staff. Neph and Sovann had both
spent the past two days filling the Barllen inside the staff with
as much magic as it could hold. That, combined with the mana stones
Madren had crafted, should be more than enough magic to accomplish
what she needed to do. “I’m nervous,” she admitted softly, her
voice just loud enough for Valor to hear.

“I know. That’s why I’m right here,” Valor
whispered back and gave her a reassuring wink.

“If this succeeds, do you think Ash will be
strong enough to keep Death from claiming the souls in Merro? I
don’t think she believes our deal still stands, considering I
attacked her.” Jala turned to look at him, her eyes desperately
searching for reassurance.

“We don’t know that Oblivion will release
them the moment the curse is lifted. If they wait until you return,
I have no doubt that the souls will remain in Merro. Ash may not be
strong enough, but you are. Perhaps Death will be appeased with the
offering from Goswin and won’t even try to seize the souls of
Merro. There are quite a few dead here that are trapped from her
domain,” Valor answered with confidence filling his voice. She
could see no doubt in his blue eyes. He had more faith in her than
she had in herself, apparently.

“I’m not giving her the dead of Goswin,
Valor. I will do everything in my power to keep from giving her
anything ever again. I’m not releasing the souls today, I’m raising
them back to life,” Jala corrected softly with only a faint tremor
in her voice. Life magic was more taxing on her than anything else
she had attempted and she was about to perform more of it than any
other mage would even consider.

“Are you sure that is wise?” Valor asked
cautiously, a bit of concern showing on his face at last.

“My father didn’t name me Wisdom,” Jala
replied with a faint smile and returned his gaze. “Do you believe I
can do it?” she asked in a softer voice.

Valor shifted where he stood and uncrossed
his arms. Carefully he removed his gauntlet and smiled at her. “I
have faith that you can do anything you set your mind to, Jala. If
the stones and the staff are not enough then take magic from me.
I’ve seen you perform miracles before and the only thing that has
caused you difficulty was magical energy. You shouldn’t have a
problem with that today,” he said and offered his hand to her.

Jala smiled faintly and shook her head at his
offering. “Only if there is no other choice. I don’t like siphoning
magic from friends. Sovann informed me how painful it is when I
do.” She let out another nervous breath and nodded to Valor. “Well
then, I suppose I should get started.”

Closing her eyes she willed her mind into
focus for Weaving and slowly opened her eyes once more, her gaze
traveling across the land and then slowly to the sky above. Threads
of magic covered everything as far as she could see. The trees
themselves hung heavy with strands of magic while the sky above was
nearly blinding to look at between the Barrier and the remains of
Anthe’s failed magic. Her mind reeled at the sheer amount of magic
before her. There was so much to repair and remove that she wasn’t
sure if she would have energy for the raising of the dead despite
the provisions she had brought.

Find a starting point first
. She
decided silently and her eyes roved across the land and settled on
the Tolanteer. If she could release the witches, then perhaps they
could help her with the raising of the dead.

Are you certain of this
? Marrow asked
her softly. He kept his words gentle in her mind so he wouldn’t
disrupt her focus, and she didn’t need to look down to know his
yellow eyes were searching her for doubt.

“Quite,” she answered softly as she raised
her hands and began to undo the damage Anthe had wrought on her
land so long ago. She could now see the intent of the spell Anthe
had cast. The broken weaves and strands told the story clearly
enough for her to know exactly what Anthe had attempted. Wish
magic. Had Jala not already held trepidation about her family’s
gift, the ruined magic of Goswin would have guaranteed it. Anthe
had wished for her people to stand forever in the defense of
Goswin, or something close to those terms. The edge of the sword
was the curse that blanketed the land. Jala’s hands moved swiftly
as she removed the strands of the curse and repaired the damage to
the innate magic of the land. As Sovann had once told her,
everything on Sanctuary held magic. Even the slender blades of
grass hidden below the snow. Anthe’s magic had disrupted it all.
Not a single weave in Goswin was undisturbed no matter how small it
was.