The Crow King's Wife

by Melissa Myers

  Shade nodded slowly and took a moment to digest the information before looking up at Neph once more. “What do you mean prisoners? That sounds far more plural than I was expecting. I thought they were just holding certain individuals there.”

  Zoelyn watched her brother closely and marked the gleam that rose in his eyes at the question. His expression didn’t shift in the slightest, but she could tell just by looking at his eyes that Neph had been hoping Shade would ask that particular question.

  “They are holding prisoners from Arovan and Delvay in their cells and from the reports I have the majority are children below the age of twelve. Though I’m sure they managed to acquire girls a bit older than that as well for obvious reasons. From what I understand the prisoners are to be traded to Nerathane in return for support and no doubt financial gain.” Neph explained calmly in a dispassionate voice. He let out another quiet sigh and shrugged one shoulder at Shade before picking up his glass once more. “It sickens me, but what can I do? I have barely two thousand people and I can’t spare any to attempt a rescue. Not with so many soldiers sitting on my borders awaiting orders to attack. I will be lucky if I can hold Delvay already and if I lose more of my warriors I don’t have a chance in hell.”

  Well played Neph. Zoelyn silently congratulated her brother as she watched Shade’s face pale and then crease with frustration. Grim had stiffened at the words too, and while his expression was more guarded than Shade’s she could tell he was just as troubled by the information.

  “Shade, how do you expect to empty a prison?” Grim asked softly. There was no reproach in his voice it was simply a question and Zoelyn knew if Shade could answer it Grim would help. Neph had chosen his words well when he spoke. By saying Arovan children first he had guaranteed that if a rescue could be accomplished Grim would see it done.

  “Perhaps this will help.” Neph offered quietly as he reached down beside his chair and heaved two heavy looking leather bags onto the table. Shade looked up expectantly but Neph pushed the bags toward Grim instead. “I was told to give them to you and that you would know what to do with them.” Neph explained as Grim stared at him without moving a muscle toward the bags.

  “By who?” Grim asked coolly still eyeing the bags with suspicion.

  “My chosen companion for weekly tea. I find Kali’s company so tedious and seek my entertainment with livelier folk. Take it or leave it Huntsman. It makes no difference to me if you live or die.” Neph growled in response.

  She doubted anyone else at the table could hear the lie in his voice, but Zoelyn could read it clearly. Neph wanted them to live and whatever was in the bags was proof of that. If he truly didn’t care he wouldn’t have offered any assistance at all.

  “What can it hurt to look?” Shade asked when Grim still showed hesitation.

  With a resigned sigh Grim leaned forward and pulled the closest bag over to him. His expression shifted from suspicion to shock as he stared at the contents and then looked up sharply at Neph. “Who do you drink tea with?” he demanded. He slipped his hand into the bag and lifted a handful of what looked to be black gravel from her vantage point across the table. Still watching Neph he let the handful spill slowly back into the bag and glanced to Shade who looked thoroughly confused. “These are Stonevine seeds from Glis. Typically they are in very short supply and the amount in front of me is worth a small fortune in gold.”

  “Uh, how exactly are seeds going to help us?” Shade asked with obvious hesitation. He still looked confused but there was a faint gleam of hope in his eyes at Grim’s reaction to Neph’s gift.

  Neph, Zoelyn noticed with amusement had remained utterly silent on the matter of how he had gained the seeds and from his expression he didn’t look inclined to speak of it anytime soon. Her gaze shifted back to Grim once more as he lifted another handful of seeds and let them trail from his hand back into the bag. She could see the gears of his mind turning and the glint of determination that was slowly forming in his dark eyes.

  “I can disable the city with these.” Grim whispered and Zoelyn wasn’t sure if he was answering Shade or talking to himself. His eyes were still focused on the small treasure before him. “We sneak into the city and scatter these and then I will lure Derrick Rivasa to us and ensure he brings Syrah with him. Once Syrah is safe I will activate the seeds. That should cause enough of a distraction for you to kill Derrick as you promised Onvalla while I see to his remaining guards. The part I’m unsure of is how to rescue the prisoners. We will be working with limited time once I attack the city. Someone there is bound to have enough skill to mind link for help with a neighboring city.” Grim’s voice trailed off and he began to slowly drum his fingers on the table as he continued to contemplate the matter.

  “It’s simple. Dray and I will go with you and while you and Shade are seeing to Derrick we will retrieve the prisoners from where ever they are being held.” Zoelyn said quietly.

  “No.” Neph snapped at once and Zoelyn smiled in response. She had known he would hate the idea, but it was the most logical solution to their problem.

  “Dray can you camouflage Zoey or does her curse absorb your magic as well?” Shade asked quietly before Neph could continue in his objection.

  Shrugging one shoulder Dray rose from his chair and moved closer to her. Zoelyn watched his face closely as he extended a hand toward her, but there was no trace of the fear that typically showed on the faces of others who touched her. She could feel the weight of his hand through the leather of her coat, but no trace of the tingling that always accompanied her curse when it drained magic. With a frown she glanced up at Dray and raised an eyebrow.

  “Are you going to try it?” She asked softly and he smiled at her in obvious amusement.

  “I did and it is working. You can still see me because of the contact between us.” Dray explained with a wink then reluctantly pulled his hand back and nodded to Shade. “There was no drain of my powers. Perhaps it’s due to the lead lining of her coat or maybe the Blight immunity to magic protects my talent. I’m not sure why it works, but it does and that is all that matters.”

  “Zoelyn you just arrived here. How can you possibly expect me to allow you to go?” Neph growled with clear annoyance. His pale blue eyes were alight with anger, but he was controlling it. She wasn’t sure if it was due to Shade’s earlier threat or if her brother still remembered how poorly she reacted to his temper. She had always been the more rational of the two of them, and in the past she had chosen to simply ignore his tantrums until he conceded to rational conversation.

  “Neph, how can we ask them to rescue our own people without offering help? I understand why you can’t go, but can you give me one solid reason why I shouldn’t beyond your concern for my safety?” Zoelyn countered calmly.

  “You are a pacifist for one.” Neph said raising one finger. “You aren’t trained to defend yourself even if you decided you wanted to.” Neph continued raising a second finger.

  “I’m going Neph.” Zoelyn cut in before he could raise the third finger. “I know a bit about defending myself and I can heal. There is a very good possibility that particular talent will be required.” She added firmly and gave him a glare of sheer stubbornness.

  “So everything as I said it before and add the fact that Zoelyn will be rescuing the prisoners while we deal with Derrick.” Grim said with a nod of approval. “There is a distinct possibility that this might actually work. Can you stone the ship again Shade so that you will have a quick escape once Zoelyn returns?”

  “I can stone the ship so that we can have a quick escape once she returns.” Shade corrected with heavy emphasis on the word we.

  “No time to argue it now.” Grim grumbled and rose from his chair. He carefully lifted each of the bags with the same tender care most handled newborn babes and nodded to Neph. “Give her more credit and respect her courage.” He suggested in a none to gentle tone.

  “I respect her courage and condemn her idiocy in the same breath.” Neph growled and r
ose from his chair still glaring down at her.

  Zoelyn smiled in response and shrugged her shoulders at her brother. “I will be far safer than you give me credit for.” She assured him quietly. The entire idea of venturing into Rivasa made her stomach clench with nerves, but the knowledge that if things went too horribly bad Seth might appear was enough to keep her from trembling. She wasn’t at all certain he would show up, especially after the trouble his appearance in Delvay had caused, but just the possibility gave her the extra boost of strength she needed.

  “I will guard her with my life.” Dray promised solemnly and bowed to Neph. From anyone else the words might have seemed noble tripe, but Zoelyn could see the sincerity written in every line of Dray’s face. He meant what he said, and the thought unnerved her even more.

  “You better.” Neph grumbled through clenched teeth.

  “Better yet I will guard myself and then you can focus on helping me gather the prisoners and keeping yourself alive.” Zoelyn suggested hopefully.

  “Argue about it on the way. The more time we waste the longer my daughter is in Rivasan hands.” Grim snapped as he turned for the door without a second glance back.

  “Light a candle to Fortune for us.” Shade said with a nod to Neph before turning to follow Grim.

  Neph stared at Shade’s back for a long moment then glanced to Zoelyn as she began to ease toward the door. “Make sure you make it back in one piece Zyi.” He whispered just loud enough for her to hear him.

  “I promise I will Neph.” Zoelyn smiled at him and considered crossing to give him a hug, but as reluctant as he had been over her leaving she was half afraid he wouldn’t let go of her and Grim would force Shade to depart without her. “With every Delvay child that still lives.” She added as she stepped through the door and headed toward the Spell Hawk with Dray at her side.

  “Perhaps by the end of this mission you won’t need to find strength in thoughts of a treacherous demon. Maybe once we are safely back within these walls you will realize that strength lies closer at hand and Seth isn’t worthy of your devotion.” Dray spoke the words so softly that she almost missed them.

  Silently she glanced over to him and wondered just how often he scanned her mind. “Does it matter what I use to bolster myself?” she asked quietly.

  Dray met her eyes for a moment and shrugged his shoulder in response. His face was free of all emotion and there had been no hint of what he was thinking when he looked at her, but she had the unsettling feeling that somehow her answer had disappointed him deeply.

  Chapter 11

  The Darklands

  Wind whistled through the limbs above him, but beyond the soft whisper of the leaves the grove was silent. She didn’t make a sound as she approached, but he knew she was there. He had known the moment she had entered his domain despite her stealth. Since the day Seth had pulled him from the mire of depression and been forced to kill to preserve his seat of power Finn hadn’t let his guard down once. He knew every whisper, every move, and every soul within his domain with an unwavering certainty. No one could sneak in or out of the Darklands without him knowing, not even Exodus the Mistress of thieves.

  With a long silent breath Finn stared up at the black barked trees and watched the oak leaves dance. He didn’t know if she realized he could sense her, but didn’t turn to face her. Let her wonder a bit longer and keep her silence as long as she would. He had very little doubt as to what had brought her to visit him. She had heard the rumors of his insanity and had come to judge for herself if he had indeed gone mad. It was a topic he would broach once she spoke, but until the silence was broken his mind would remain with the grove and his current project.

  His cloak shifted slightly as he stepped forward and pressed a hand against his newest creation. The bark was cool beneath his touch and he felt a pang of disappointment. There was no pulse of life beneath his hand, and there never would be. He could create the image of a tree and give it leaves to flutter in the wind, but it would never grow and it would never bloom or change with the seasons. It was the image of a tree and nothing more. A true tree required sunlight and water and most importantly the spark of life, none of which he had to give. The water of course could be managed, but the other two requirements were quite beyond his talents.

  “Has the Lord of Death taken to gardening?” Exodus asked softly. She had ensconced herself in one of the trees, tucked neatly against the trunk with her legs propped daintily on a thick branch in front of her. Her short dark hair fluttered in mimicry of the leaves and an impish smile curved her lips.

  Finn stared at her in silence for a long moment his gaze locked on the bright blue of her silk shirt against the constant twilight of the sky behind her. The color she wore was the blue of a cloudless summer day, another aspect of his domain that he couldn’t master. He had tried to lighten the sky, but the effect had been both unnerving to his subjects and too draining on his power to maintain. So it was twilight again, and always would be. He let his hand fall from the tree as he straightened. His cloak settled straight across his shoulders once more as he pulled his gaze from her and studied each of the trees in turn before looking back up at her. Her smile had faded and he could read concern in her face as she watched him. He felt the corners of his own mouth tug into the fraction of a smile in response. It amused him to no end that everyone seemed to think he had gone mad when he was finally thinking clearly for the first time in his life. He knew exactly what needed to be done, and this little project of his was just the first step. The changes to the Darklands unsettled his servants, and when they were unsettled they were not plotting. He needed them complacent while he sorted out the rest of his plans and started taking the steps needed for his true goals.

  “Taken to gardening and lost your tongue. It hasn’t been that long since I parted company with you, but apparently I missed something very important.” Exodus said with forced levity and he watched as she attempted to summon another smile and failed miserably.

  Finn let his own smile widen fractionally and lowered himself slowly to the moss covered ground. Still silent he adjusted the fall of his cloak and leaned back against one of the massive oaks. He let his attention wander for a moment toward the distant grass covered hills that rose closer to his city then glanced up at her once more. “I don’t think that you are a regular guest at War’s table so I’m going to assume the rumors of my madness have spread throughout all of the Aspects by now.” He began in a calm voice. For some reason speaking in low tones seemed to reassure those that questioned his sanity. It didn’t make much sense to him, but he wasn’t going to knock it. He would take every advantage he could get.

  “A few people are talking.” Exodus agreed hesitantly. She eyed him curiously as if she couldn’t quite believe he wasn’t frothing at the mouth and rambling then seemed to relax a bit on her perch above him. “You don’t sound mad though even if you do look a bit nutty.” She added in a brighter voice.

  Frowning Finn gazed down at his immaculate armor and traced a hand through his hair. He knew it was wind tousled, but that couldn’t be helped. Beyond his hair however he was perfectly respectable in appearance.

  Exodus laughed softly at his self-inspection and shook her head quickly. “Not in appearance, but in action. You are planting a bloody forest in the Darklands after all.” She amended with a grin.

  “I’m recreating the city of Evagale. It was surrounded by thick forests on three sides. The city itself was built in a bit of a valley and was famous for the scholars and artists that dwelled there. I’ve read in three books by different authors that say Evagale was the most precious gem lost in the thousand year war.” Finn explained with the same patience that he had used when explaining his projects to everyone else that doubted him.

  “And why should you bother? It is a lost city from beyond the Barrier does it really have a place in the Darklands?” Exodus asked. Concern had crept back into her face and voice.

  “I could give you the same answer I gave Fiona.�
� Finn began with a grin. “I could say it’s dead therefore its mine, but I said that mostly to make her question my sanity so she would run to her true master in panic. War has done a good job of spreading his concerns for my well-being and here you are.” He waved a hand toward her lightly and his grin broke into a full smile as the glint of concern on her face blossomed further. “I will give you the truth though.” He added before she could speak. With a sigh he propped one of his legs before him and rested his arm against it. “Evagale is dead, but it could be revived, just as easily as the souls of my domain can be returned to the world above. Every piece of land I alter is a monument to what we can accomplish. The souls are sent to me for redemption and I am showing them what is worth being redeemed for. I am showing them what can be done if they can set aside their wars and their differences. I altered my own house for that reason. It is not the protective fortress that will keep me safe now, but it is one of the reasons for my redemption. That is a replica of the house I was born in. That is the house that my mother and father lived in for decades and raised their family in. That was my Mother’s prison and sanctuary. Every time I walk through my door I remember why she was trapped there, and it gives me the strength to try to achieve the impossible.”

  “And what exactly do you define as the impossible?” Exodus asked cautiously.

  “A world where Evagale can exist again and thrive and no one is forced to live in fear.” Finn began softly and he rose slowly to his feet. He motioned toward the trees and then looked up at her with determination lighting his eyes. He knew he was on delicate ground here. He had to gain her support and if he chose his words poorly she would think him just as mad as Fiona did. “The city had no standing military. It had no guards or walls, and the only thing that could be considered defense was the forest that surrounded it on three sides. Yet it stood for close to four hundred years in complete and utter peace. I want to take away their desire to fight Exodus. I want to eliminate their desire to escape what they see as a prison. All I have to do is force them to realize the Barrier is protection as much as restraint. If I can build Evagale in the Darklands it can be built in the Sunlit world. All I have to do is remind them of what they could have, and how little the cost would be.”