The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes (50 page)

“I’ve never actually seen Seth before.
Really. I thought he was just a myth made up to frighten children.
I’m not sure how I feel, knowing he is real. Was he as terrifying
as the stories say?” Wisp spoke with hesitation, her words still
interrupted by the occasional sniffle.

It was hard to suppress the laughter, but
Emily did her best. Wisp was upset. Now was not the time to laugh,
no matter how amusing her question was. She wasn’t sure the Fae
would like her answer either.
Actually, Wisp, he looked a good
deal like you and your brother, only a bit paler and much less
charismatic. My overall impression was a pretty boy Fae that was a
complete asshole
.

“Oh,” Wisp said in what Emily thought was
dismay. “I, uh, I always heard he was a Shifter. At least in the
stories, he is, but he looks Fae you say. I, uh, well I suppose
there is nothing to be done about it, but I can’t say that I like
the Harbinger of Death looking like me,” Wisp mumbled with a
frown.

“Legacy is safe with Jala. I’ve spoken with
her and everything is fine. I have no idea why he helped but
apparently he did,” Jail announced as he reentered the room.

Wisp let out a sigh of relief and wiped the
remainder of the tears from her eyes. “Well, that is the good news
then. The bad news is, Emily is down for a while. These will have
to be stitched until Jala returns unless we want to share the
secret with Kendry or Wesley.”

Stitch the wounds. I will wait for
Jala
, Emily told them both through a mental link, and Jail
nodded his agreement with her decision.

“Emily is a trump in our favor as long as she
remains a secret among Jala’s friends. While I don’t know for sure
that our healers would gossip, I don’t want to take the chance,”
Jail said softly.

“Then we are all in agreement. Just one
thing, Jail,” Wisp said with a faint smile.

“What’s that?” Jail asked as he sat down
beside them.

“Do you know how to help her shift back to
her other form?” Wisp asked.

“Uhh. No. You mean she doesn’t know how to do
that herself?” Jail asked in confusion, his gaze going back to
Emily.

“I’ve heard Shifters have to be taught by
their elders how to change their forms,” Wisp said with a
shrug.

“Is that true, Emily. Do you not know how to
change back?” Jail asked, his gaze fully on her now.

Why would I want to
?
Why would
anyone want to be a Blight, Jail
? Emily asked as she rolled
onto her side and stretched out, her muscles flexing under her new
skin. It was both painful and wonderful at the same time. She could
feel the raw power of this form. When she was healed she would be
even more devastating to their enemies. The Bendazzi form was like
a blessing from the Divine in her eyes. People feared the Bendazzi
as well as respected them, but no one despised them simply for
existing. Even she despised the Blights and she was one of them.
Why would she ever want to change back? The thought itself was
almost laughable. She had absolutely no intention of ever being a
Blight again. On that she was certain.

Kithvaryn

Pale blossoms floated down through the air
before her. Turning slowly, Jala gazed up at the blossom covered
trees around her and felt her burdens lifting. The sky above was a
pale blue, dotted with the sort of clouds you could find all manner
of shapes in. She used to love those sorts of clouds as a child.
She could remember lying in thick grass, simply staring at the sky
for hours while her imagination ran wild.

Jala closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The
scent of the flowers was nearly intoxicating. Slowly, her eyes
opened once more, and she moved to the edge of the orchard to stare
at the white walls of a city in the distance. Everything was so
pristine, so absolutely beautiful it was surreal.

“
I must have died in the night. That bitch
slit my throat while I slept,” Jala murmured as she remembered
Kithkara’s promise of death. This place was simply too perfect in
all of its details to be just a dream.

“
It’s a dream, not the afterlife. You know
very well if you die you are bound for someplace darker than this,”
It wasn’t truly a surprise to hear War’s voice. Still, it took her
several moments to locate his perch in the upper limbs of one of
the trees.

“
I thought you couldn’t contact me in the
sunlit world? Where are we this time?” Jala asked, gazing up at her
Grandfather.

“
Kithvaryn is different. I have more power
here. They all worship me on this island. As to where we are, this
was Tevonale, another land that is nothing more than a memory in
the minds of those old enough to remember it,” War answered in a
wistful voice.

“
I’ve never even heard of it,” Jala
admitted, her eyes going once more to the white walls of the city.
Small forms were circling over the walls dotting the blue sky at
intervals that seemed too regular to be coincidence. “What are
those? They are too small for dragons, but too big for
birds.”

“
Griffons. They no longer exist in
Sanctuary. They were lost with Tevonale,” War explained as he
dropped down beside her and motioned toward the city. “It’s
probably for the best though. Griffons would have been no match for
the Spell Hawks and dragons had a tendency to snack on
them.”

“
Is this place another lesson for me?”
Jala asked as they began to walk slowly toward the city.

“
Not one such as Lady Veyetta. Tevonale is
a history lesson I suppose. It’s a reminder of what can happen when
the High Lords go to war,” War said in a voice that held more
sadness than she would have expected. Glancing over at her, he
smiled faintly and shrugged. “I know I’m War. I shouldn’t mourn the
effects of my aspect. I do, though. Tevonale was remarkable. They
were the ones that started the tradition of the Spring games. No
one remembers that now, though. No one ever remembers after a few
centuries. Do you know where the Black Sea is, Jala?”

“
North of the Greenwild and Avanti,” Jala
answered with a raised eyebrow. She could picture the stretch of
water perfectly in her mind from the maps at the Academy. The
narrow channel between the Greenwild and the southern shores of
Gaelyn was what Marrow had swum to reach Merro.

“
That used to be Tevonale. There are
islands dotting the Black Sea that to this day cannot support life
and the waters there are considered cursed by most. Not even the
serpents will swim that channel,” War explained.

They were close enough to the city now to
hear the chatter of its citizens. Pausing, Jala watched a brightly
gowned woman ride past them on a pale coated horse. The woman never
slowed or glanced their way. “They are memories of yours?” Jala
asked hesitantly. In the Veyetta dream the city had been
abandoned.

“
They are only memories now, nothing more.
Her name was Alexia. She was a healer. Does she look familiar to
you, Jala?” War explained.

Jala kept her gaze on the woman, studying the
dark golden hair and the aristocratic features carefully. “Are you
about to tell me she is a long lost relative?” she asked.

“
Not of yours, but you trained with her
sister in Sanctuary,” War chuckled.

“
Rose!” Jala exclaimed, her eyes still
following the woman as she rode through the gates of the city to
disappear into the crowded streets. “Rose is that old?” Jala
gasped, her eyes moving quickly to War.

“
Older than that, I’m sure. Even I do not
know how old she is, exactly. Her family was renowned for healing.
It’s in their blood, you might say.” War paused near the gates and
looked to her. “And on that subject are you sure you know what you
are getting into with Seravae?”

“
I’ve thought it through. I have to have
this alliance,” Jala said firmly, her lightened mood fading at the
mention of reality.

“
Spirit mages are dangerous, Jala. They
can read your intentions as clearly as a Mind mage reads you
thoughts. You can’t deceive them no matter how hard you try. Not to
mention they can rip your bloody soul from your body on a whim,”
War cautioned.

“
Did Seravae do this? Is that why you
brought me here to show me how dangerous the Soulreavers are?” Jala
asked, her eyes sweeping over the city once more.

War snorted in amusement and shook his head.
“Tevonale would have wiped the floor with the Soulreavers. No I
brought you here because I like it here.” He sighed and the
amusement slowly left his face. Leaning back against the gate post
he watched the city for a long moment before glancing back toward
her. “Can you at least tell me why it must be Seravae that you ally
with? After your approach to Kithvaryn on behalf of Goswin, I can
see that you have thought things through, but isn’t there another
house that would be more fitting?”

“
I need the Spirit mages. Avanti isn’t the
only enemy I have,” Jala explained with a sigh, her violet eyes
meeting his darker gaze fully. “I’m not too concerned about
deceiving Ash, either. I think I can trust him as long as our goals
follow the same path.”

“
I’m not worried about Ash. I’m more
concerned with the other eight to ten thousand you are hoping to
bring home. What if they don’t follow Ash’s orders quite as they
should? It has been a while since Ash has even been among them. He
has been living in self-imposed exile for nearly a decade. I’m sure
he has lost most of the political sway he had in that
time.”

“
I suppose we will see when I arrive,”
Jala shrugged as she spoke and watched the ghosts of Tevonale as
they continued the charade of a normal day.

“
Have you thought of the other side of the
coin concerning Seravae? It’s obvious that you didn’t anticipate
that Kithvaryn might hesitate at your offer. So I have to ask. Have
you considered what you will do if the Seravae lords refuse the
marriage offer or find Ash unworthy?” War pressed.

“
They need land; they won’t refuse,” Jala
replied with confidence. She had spoken with Ash several times
about the idea and he assured her that Seravae would accept the
offer without difficulty.

“
So that’s a no. You haven’t thought it
over,” War concluded with a sigh and shook his head slightly. “You
have to start looking at the full picture, Jala. You can’t just
assume that everyone will play the parts you want them to.”

“
Why would they refuse? And how could Ash
not be worthy? He has more training than their High Lord has,” Jala
countered a bit irritably. She had too much riding on her plans. It
was too late for War to pick them apart now. The ball was already
in motion.

“
And if they do?” War pressed once
more.

“
Then I will do something else,” Jala
snapped, throwing her hands up. “What do you want from me? I have
no training in politics. I have no training in intrigue. I’m
winging it here, Grandfather, and I’m trying to do my
best.”

“
Perhaps you should have listened to
Vaze’s advice and talked to Valor about your plans. He has training
in both of the fields you are professing ignorance of,” War mused.
He frowned and fell silent, his gaze on the sky as a deafening
clangor filled the city.

“
What is that?” Jala asked as she cringed
from the noise and covered her ears.

“
A knock at your door, Jala. Time to wake
up I’m afraid.” War sighed and gave her one last smile as the city
around her faded.

“Are you all right, Jala? I knocked but you
didn’t answer.” Sovann’s voice was hesitant and from the sound of
it he was still at the door.

“Mmph,” Jala replied as her eyes fluttered
open. Her face was still partly buried in the pillows and her hair
all but blinding her with its tangles.

“Is that a yes?” Sovann asked, sounding a bit
confused.

Grumbling incoherently, Jala sat up slowly
and pushed her curls back from her face before looking over at
Sovann with bleary eyes. She nodded slowly and looked toward the
brightly lit window. Legacy had awakened her in the middle of her
sleep with his hunger and between that and War’s dream walk, it
didn’t feel as though she had slept at all.

“We are supposed to meet with Kithvaryn in
one hour. Will you feel up to it by then?” The expression on his
face suggested that he highly doubted she could even form a
sentence by then.

Jala smirked slightly and nodded, her eyes
searching the room for a basin for water. “I need to get cleaned up
first,” she mumbled as she reluctantly dragged her legs over the
side of the bed. “Can you watch Legacy for me while I get dressed
Sovann?” she asked through a yawn.

“Legacy?” Sovann exclaimed moving forward to
look down at the sleeping child in her bed. “I thought he was with
Wisp? How did he get here? Is Wisp OK?”

His questions came so rapid fire that she
didn’t have a chance to answer any of them. She watched him with a
bemused expression until she was sure he was done and then nodded
slowly. “Wisp is fine, as is Jail. Legacy was brought here by an
unexpected guest because of difficulties in Merro,” Jala said
slowly and then raised an eyebrow at him. “So will you watch him
while I get dressed?”

“Of course. There is a bathing room at the
end of the hall if you want it. Would be nice if there was a
bathtub in each room but I suppose this fortress is so old it’s
bound to be rustic,” Sovann replied as he plopped down lightly on
the bed and smiled down at his sleeping nephew. She knew he had
more questions on the subject of Wisp and the mysterious guest, but
apparently Sovann had given up on her telling him the whole truth
when he asked.