“I can’t say that I care much for the thought either,” she admitted, pausing in front of a mirror to look at herself. The skin on her right side was bright pink on her shoulder and face. Turning her head from side to side she examined the extent of the damage to her hair and sighed, the mulberry curls were singed badly and much shorter on the right side. She frowned at the reflection, she knew she could fix the skin with a simple healing but she wasn’t sure about the hair. Pulling lightly on the magic she repaired the discoloring to her skin and turned toward the bath tub. If it was only her hair damaged perhaps Finn wouldn’t be too upset. Slipping into the hot water she leaned back and closed her eyes trying to ignore the agitated Bendazzi as well as the other concerns gnawing at her mind. She focused on her link with Finn and found anger and concern. At least she knew he was alive.
Are you well? Is the duel over? she asked him hoping the mental link wouldn’t distract him if the fight wasn’t over.
There was no fight. It was a trap. The Justicars were waiting at the Arena, though Valor and I both managed to evade their attention. I’m not sure what grounds they were planning to arrest me on but I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough, Finn answered.
Are you safe now? she asked him, her eyes fluttering open. She sat up in the tub awaiting his answer and silently calculated how quickly she could get to him if he wasn’t. With a long sigh she realized she didn’t even know what part of the city he was in. She rubbed a hand across her face and chewed on her lower lip.
For now, Valor is getting the horses while I gather things from the hall. We will be on our way to you shortly, Finn answered seeming a bit distracted.
Don’t worry about our things, Finn. We can get new things, she replied her concern growing. If the Justicars realized he wasn’t going to show at the Arena, the hall would be the next place they looked. Every minute he wasted there was another minute they had to catch him.
I’ll be there soon, Vezradesh, he assured her and she felt the link between them drop.
With a silent curse she let herself sink back into the water and closed her eyes once more. “If you have ever loved me at all Fortune, bring him safely to me,” she whispered.
Chapter 20
Sanctuary
Emily watched silently as the red clouds enveloped the city. She didn’t know what it meant, but the sight of them was not a reassuring one. They were the color of fresh blood in places and the deeper red of drying blood in others. Neither was a sign of good fortune she decided.
Movement ahead of her drew her attention back to her quarry. She had noticed the Blight on the way to classes this morning, and had left Jala with Finn and Marrow to pursue it. She didn’t like the thought of them hunting at the Academy. That was simply too close to her own dwelling for comfort. There was no way she could allow this one to claim this territory. It would bring others and then keeping Jala safe would be impossible. The only thing to do was kill it before others showed up.
Finding a place to kill it was proving difficult. She had been following it for most of the day and, so far, opportunity hadn’t presented itself. There were simply too many witnesses on the Academy grounds. Every time she had drawn close enough there had been someone walking down a path, or sitting in a garden, and now even more people were filing out of the buildings to stare up at the sky. She fought back the urge to snarl her frustration and continued tracking the creature. There had to be some place she could ambush it.
She had been within range several times and she knew it sensed her as well as she sensed it. Paranoia rose in her briefly as she considered that thought. It was possible the Blight was leading her into a trap. Did it know she was defective? She hesitated in her steps and the creature gained distance on her. With a silent snarl she quickened her pace and continued the stalk.
Though she hated to admit it she really didn’t like hunting without Marrow anymore. The Bendazzi’s silent presence beside her was reassuring, and she tried not to focus on how much she missed him right now. It was better that he was with Jala, though. Perhaps they knew why the clouds were bleeding. She had more faith in Marrow keeping Jala safe than any of her human companions. The nightly hunts with Marrow had proved to her time and again how formidable the Bendazzi truly was.
Commotion near the stables drew her attention and she turned to see Valor riding hard out of the stable leading both Finn and Jala’s horses behind him. The young knight’s handsome face was drawn with worry and his long silver hair was in disarray. She had never seen Valor looking so out of sorts. The knight was usually quite impeccable in his appearance. Her steps slowed as she watched him race the horses down the path toward the Merrodin hall. She looked up at the swirling red clouds once more and then back in the direction Valor had disappeared. The urge to follow him was almost as strong as her desire to track the Blight and she slowed further as the decision warred in her mind. He had seemed frantic and the way he rode suggested an emergency. Perhaps Jala needed her.
Letting out a silent sigh she continued after the Blight. Valor was competent. Whatever the problem was, he and the others could handle it. This was something that needed to be done that only she could do. The Blight’s path had veered away from the crowded gardens toward the thick woods of the Academy grounds. She felt her adrenaline beginning to build. There was no doubt in her mind that she could find an ambush point amidst the towering oaks.
Winning the fight might be the difficulty. Always before she had been with Marrow. This would be her first fight alone. She had an advantage, though,. She knew how to fight her kin and kill them quickly. It was a talent she had honed over the past few weeks with careful diligence. She had grown as well, and was far stronger than she had been when she and Marrow had first started hunting the creatures. Jala was right in her assumption that the meat hadn’t gone to waste. Her instincts were simply too honed to allow her to ignore meat from a kill. She increased her pace, shortening the distance between her and her quarry. The Blight had gained substantial ground as she had watched Valor. Within moments she had the gap reduced to twenty paces and then fifteen. Crimson light dappled the forest floor as she crossed silently beneath the trees. The world itself seemed to be holding its breath. Even the night birds had gone silent and she wondered how they knew what was coming. Normal animals couldn’t sense a Blight and neither she nor her prey had made any noise since entering the woods.
Her quarry paused, seeming unsure and she closed the gap further. A gentle touch brushed through her mind as the creature sought her out. By now it was likely confused by her behavior. She had to act quickly. She dropped her hands down to her sides and flexed her fingers, limbering them for the coming fight. The Blight began to move again, this time quicker. It knew she was no friend now.
With a sprint she barreled into the creature, her talons raking at it’s flesh. Blood sprayed from the wounds and she felt the salty tang fill her mouth. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation as she sank fangs deep into what she thought was its shoulder. The Blight screamed its fury and turned on her in desperation. Bright pain lanced through her shoulder as its talons raked her. Had Marrow been here with her, the fight would have already been over. The Bendazzi wasn’t here, however. This was her fight. She summoned memories from Eldagar and placed the faces of her friends on the bodies she had seen there. The mental image of Jala laying pale and twisted as her mother had been, lent her the extra fury she needed. She tore at the creature savagely, her hate for her kind fueling every slash of her talons. Fresh blossoms of pain shot up from her side as the creature buried it’s talons in the soft flesh of her stomach.
“You will not win,” she hissed and redoubled her efforts, allowing instincts to guide her blows. Her hands were slippery with blood as she grappled the creature to the forest floor and sank her fangs deep into its neck. It thrashed and heaved beneath her as she buried her talons in it once more, tearing at any piece of flesh that fell beneath her hands.
Several moments passed before she realized the creature no longe
r moved. She remained crouched above it breathing heavily and waited to ensure it was truly dead. With effort she calmed herself and slowed her breathing. The smell of the meat beneath her was almost intoxicating. Her stomach rumbled again and she tore a piece of flesh from the body and dropped it into her mouth.
She allowed herself to smile then. She had won and without Marrow’s help. Her smile grew slowly as the realization settled in. With a sigh she leaned back, resting on her heels and slowly looked around the forest. The ancient trees rose above her on all sides and not a single creature was to be seen, not even the small wildlife that seemed to thrive on the Academy grounds. She scanned the area with a frown. It was possible the fight had frightened them all off, but then she remembered the dead silence before her attack. A dull ache from her side briefly drew her attention to her healing wounds. She pressed her fingers against the injury, testing its severity. It was deep, but healing quickly. Clicking her tongue against her teeth she stretched and tore another piece of meat from the corpse. She chewed slowly still watching the unnaturally still forest. It wasn’t right and she knew it. At the very least there should have been the distant scurrying of the nocturnal creatures.
Cold dread began to settle over her as she thought about the silence and she slowly stretched her senses out once more seeking her kind. She had been so focused on the dead one before her that she wouldn’t have noticed any others that might be in the area. Her seeking located faint signatures of her kind and she felt the small hairs on the back of her neck rise. She lowered a hand to the ground slowly and her muscles tensed as she traced the direction of her kin. There were too many of them, if her senses were reading true. Far too many of them for her to even contemplate fighting. They were near and yet not close. She frowned and followed the direction, her gaze slowly turning to stare down at the ground. Her eyes widened in realization and she stood, quickly scanning the area for any sign of a tunnel or opening into the earth.
There was no question in her mind now. She knew what she had found. Her gaze dropped back down to the dead Blight and the intoxicating scent of blood filled her nostrils once more. The scent of blood carried a long way on the wind. She knew that as well as any predator. She remembered the creature’s scream and how it had shattered the silence of the forest. Slowly she backed away from the corpse and kept her senses focused on her kin, there were twenty or more perhaps. She had wanted to find the hive, of course. She simply hadn’t wanted to find it alone and wounded.
Turning quickly she sprinted for the gardens, not caring if she made noise. The possibility that the Blights were already hunting her was too great and she had to warn the others. A crawling sensation ran down her spine and she told herself it was simply her imagination, nothing was watching her, or stalking her. Even if they were stalking her she could lose them in the city. At least she hoped she could. Biting her lower lip, she pressed herself for more speed as she turned on the path that led to the Merrodin hall. Memories of Valor riding hard from the stables filled her mind and she silently prayed that she wasn’t too late.
Chapter 21
Rivana
Shade watched the morning sunrise with quiet resentment. He had hoped to catch a few hours of sleep after equipping the ship with weapons, but that hope had died with the first rays of light. Lord Rivasa had said the Avanti would be arriving first thing in the morning and he had no doubt that they would be. Yawning he looked over The Shade, taking mental inventory of the guns and the ammunition he had available. As long as the Avanti didn’t send an armada he should be fine.
Birdsong began to fill the morning and he glared in the direction of the noise. That had always been his least favorite thing when he had stayed up too late. It was almost like a herald for a very bad day. He fought back another yawn and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He had barely gotten it lit when the glint of metal in the sky caught his attention. With luck the feeble illusion he had cast on his ship would hold. From the air it should resemble nothing more than a pile of rocks. If the Avanti didn’t study the land too closely it should work.
He watched as the ships grew closer and counted them silently. Six escorts and one transport. The escort ships were painted in the Avanti house colors which meant they were military, and so they would be armed. He let out a long sigh and took another drag from his cigarette. It was, of course, likely they would be armed with standard ammunition. While this was deadly enough, it wasn’t as bad as it could be. He hadn’t planned on six, though. At best, he had guessed there might be three.
His gaze flicked back to The Shade and the newly attached guns. Standard military issue was four guns for a typical spell hawk. He had eight and they were not standard issue. Each gun had been designed and built by him. That had to count as an advantage as far as he figured it. He should have an advantage over the pilots as well. They were likely half-bloods and his reservoir of magic would be larger, which meant he would be faster.
They are coming, Charm’s soft voice broke through his thoughts and Shade nodded as he watched the ships preparing to land in Kedravon.
I see them, Shade replied and fought down the urge to scry on the ships for a closer look. It wasn’t worth the risk that they would sense him, simply to get a better look at the weapons. Though in truth it was a glimpse of the pilots that tempted him the most. He knew most spell hawk pilots and a good look would tell him clearly what his odds for success were.
Do you have a plan? Charm asked, his tone sounding a bit worried.
Of course I do, Shade answered filling his mental voice with as much confidence as he could muster. He did have a plan, it just wasn’t a plan Charm would be impressed with.
Are you going to tell me what it is? Charm pressed after a long pause.
You get on the ship, find Remedy and secure him. I will give you a way out. See, simple, easy and very few steps to this plan, Shade replied.
How will you give me a way out?The rogue’s tone held even more worry in it now.
Can you see a way onto the ship? Shade asked wondering if Charm would actually let him sidestep the question so easily.
I can get on the bloody ship, Shade, but how are you going to get us off of it? Charm pressed once again.
Better keep the chatter to a minimum, Charm, I’m not sure if they have Mind mages with them and we don’t want to give away our rescue before it even gets under way. Let me know when you get on the ship and I’ll see you soon. He felt a surge if irritation from the rogue as he cut off the mental link and chuckled lightly. He would hear about this later. There was no question about it.
He made his way onto his ship and dropped lightly into the pilot seat. The newly added runes glowed faintly along the controls and he ran through their pattern again. Four on the right and four on the left. Each rune controlled a single gun and each gun was loaded with a different ammo of his devising. The Avanti ships were in for a very bad day. He smiled at the thought and reached under his seat for the hidden bottle there.
“Thank you Sovann,” he said quietly as he carefully pried the cork from the bottle of essence wine. He had sworn off drinking while flying shortly before meeting Jala in Brannaford, but this time it was different. Taking a long pull from the bottle he closed his eyes and felt the surge of magic wash through him. Today he needed every advantage he could get, and a bit of liquid courage never hurt.
“Well I’ve always said I’m the best pilot,” he mumbled and took another pull from the bottle. His magic reserves were already full and the added energy from the wine sent a tingle through his skin. He tapped his fingers along the bottle for a moment and then rose from his seat.
Walking back to his private room on the ship he dropped the bottle carelessly on the table and threw open the closet doors. Humming quietly he dug through the piled clothes in the bottom until he found the case he was looking for. He fished it out of the mess and regarded the rumpled clothes with a smirk. To think, Jala had been so very impressed with his tidy ship. It was a good thing she hadn’t seen the c
loset.
He snorted in amusement and moved to the table again dropping the case down beside his wine bottle. Lifting the bottle with one hand he took another long drink and wondered idly if there were adverse effects to holding too much magic in your reservoir. Well he would get rid of the extra energy soon enough, he decided, as he flipped the case open.
He hadn’t even considered this case in months and couldn’t quite understand what had made him think of it now. The armor inside had been a gift from his mother. He had never even bothered to take it out of the case before now. He stared down at the dark blue leather and tried not to think of her. For most of his life he had believed her mad and had always sided with his father. Now, he was beginning to understand why she was the way she was.
Setting the bottle once more on the table, he pulled the supple leather jerkin from the case and shook it out. Despite months of storage the armor was still soft to the touch and looked well oiled. He hadn’t thought much of the gift at the time and had been rather offended at the lack of house sigils on it. It had seemed blasphemous to wear anything without the twin snakes of Morcaillo on it then. Now, it suited him perfectly.
He studied the wards worked into the armor and shook his head in amazement, protection from location, fire, and enchantment. Leaning back in his chair he stared at the runes in amazement and wondered if his mother had known all along he would go traitor to the family. The ward against location would prevent his father, or anyone else for that matter from finding him. Then there was the fire and enchantment. They were the two primary weapons of House Rivasa and House Avanti, his father’s closest allies.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 2 Blood Honor and Dreams Page 30
