The Crow King's Wife

by Melissa Myers

  Shade’s eyes moved from the sword to Caleb and then settled once more on the sword. “It’s sentient?” he asked softly. The only sentient weapons he had ever heard of were in stories that seemed too fanciful to believe, but he couldn’t explain Caleb’s behavior any other way.

  Caleb nodded once and folded his arms across his chest without bothering to retrieve his sword from the floor. “Ryvenken the Keeper.” He whispered with a trace of hatred edging his words.

  “The Blade of Secrets?” Shade gasped in disbelief. The sword was only mentioned in the oldest of stories, but he remembered each reference clearly. Ryvenken supposedly fed on souls and knowledge. It was written that for every warrior that had wielded the blade Ryvenken held a thousand secrets. It was also said that anyone who bonded with the blade could draw on those secrets and use whatever skills or magic it held.

  “None other.” Caleb agreed in a dull voice. He glanced out the window again and then looked to the boy. For just a moment a flicker of remorse crossed his features then he was looking out the window once more.

  “How long have you been bonded with it?” Shade asked quietly. Everything was falling into place now; If Caleb had been bonded with Ryvenken for years than the sword likely had a very firm hold on his mind. Artifacts as old as that sword were dangerous and it took a very strong mage to maintain control over such things. Caleb had said himself that he wasn’t strong in arcane power. The cold murder he had witnessed earlier as well as the Blight’s fear of Caleb could be explained away easily if the sword were the dominate of the two. Sentient weapons were not renowned in stories for their honor or compassion.

  “Four years aside from my stay in the Blight prison. Ryvenken and I were sadly not on speaking terms at that point. I wanted to save Arovan, Ryvenken wanted it to burn.” Caleb said calmly and shrugged once. He smiled faintly and turned away from the window. “Return Syrah to Jala or Valor. They will see that she is taken to my family in Arovan.” The words held an undeniable farewell to them, but there was no trace of concern in his voice. Caleb fully planned to face the entire military force of Prendington alone and didn’t even have a bead of sweat on his face at the thought.

  Swallowing heavily Shade watched as Caleb reclaimed his sword and moved toward the boy. Wisps of Shadow rose from him as the illusion faded from his skin and clothes. The dull grey of the chainmail turned to polished black and Shade stared hard at the outline of skulls engraved across the chest. Nestled in the center of it all emblazoned in polished silver was the symbol for the Divine of fear. Shade was likely considered a heathen by most religious orders, but even he knew what the skulls on the armor represented. For a follower of Fear each skull was a symbol of a conquered fear, and by the number of skulls on Caleb’s armor he had to be a fully anointed priest.

  “So Zoey was wrong about the druidic path I see.” Shade mumbled as he met Caleb’s gaze. The man’s features had sharpened beyond what Shade was accustomed to with high cheek bones and canted eyes that seemed more catlike than human. Small black runes dotted the pale flesh across his cheekbones and seemed to writhe just under the skin when Shade tried to examine them closer. The man before him had the same white-tipped grey hair and pale grey eyes of Caleb Faulklin, but overall he was as different from what Shade knew of his friend as the previous illusion had been. This man seemed beyond Elder Blood. He looked like more like one of the Divine.

  The thunder of hoof beats was rising outside. Derrick was here and Shade knew they didn’t have much time left to talk. Caleb glanced once toward the door and then smiled at Shade. “When you describe yourself do you simply use the word Pilot or are there other details about you that should be mentioned as well?” Caleb asked and even his voice seemed to have changed. It was still low and even but it held a bit of music to it such as Shade had come to expect from the Fae.

  “Many more, but I somehow doubt I hold as many cards as you do my friend.” Shade whispered trying to keep the awe from his voice. “Is this another illusion Caleb?” he asked as he watched Caleb lift the sobbing boy gently from his mother’s corpse. Part of him was praying it was illusion and that Caleb had just chosen it to unnerve Derrick. The other part was silently hoping the man really did have Divine blood, maybe then he would have a chance of surviving.

  “This is me in all of my unholy glory, Shade.” Caleb returned quietly and bowed his head respectfully to Shade before turning for the door. “I will send Syrah in to you. Hide her and stick to the plan.” He ordered as he pulled the door open.

  Bright sunlight poured into the store and seemed to settle on the dead woman by his feet. Shade stared at her for barely a breath and then moved as quickly as he could to the window. The street beyond was filled with armored men and horses. Near the center of the group was a finely dressed man mounted on a blue grey horse that seemed to tower over the other animals present. It didn’t take much for Shade to guess his identity. Only Derrick Rivasa would show up to face the Bloody Huntsman without a trace of armor on. The presence of the furiously glaring little girl seated before him confirmed his suspicion and Shade found himself studying the child more than the man. She was delicate in build with grey eyes that looked too large for her fragile face. Her long hair seemed black until the sun glinted off of it, then it took on a deep blue hue. The dress she wore was barely worthy of the title dress and looked to be little more than rags from what Shade could tell, but the child sat as proudly as any queen. The scowl faded from her face as her eyes found Caleb and a smile tugged at her lips. It was the last reaction Shade had expected to see from the child. According to Finn the girl was barely six, any other child of that age would have been wailing for their father to save them. Syrah Faulklin didn’t look the slightest bit inclined to wail however. Her chin tilted upward and her smile slowly widened into a look of pure satisfaction. With more dignity than most adults could muster in a situation such as hers Syrah nodded to her father and remained silent.

  “I looked for you at Amdany.” Derrick Rivasa announced loudly and his horse danced under him at the raised voice. With a frown he yanked on the reins and pressed Syrah closer to him. “They all said the Blights had done for you, but I didn’t believe it. To believe you dead I will have to see it. I’m so pleased you made that particular experience so convenient for me.”

  “Release my daughter and once she is safely to my side you may have your son.” Caleb called loudly ignoring the man’s taunt.

  “So you can teleport away? I don’t think so. You murdered my wife and mother if my guard is to be believed. You will have to die for that of course.” Derrick returned in a voice that held no remorse whatsoever.

  “I have no intention of running. I declare Kevala’drin on you and all who follow you. Amdany and all who fell there will be avenged.” Caleb’s voice rang clearly throughout the street without a trace of hesitation. Several of the guards laughed at his words, but to Shade’s ears the laughter was edged with nerves.

  “How traditional.” Derrick scoffed. “Give your word you will stand your ground and return my son. I know your pretty little code of honor will bind you. Everyone knows the Black Bastard always keeps his word.”

  Caleb’s jaw clenched at Derrick’s words but he visibly forced his temper back down before speaking. “I give you my word that I will not harm your son and I will release him once Syrah is safely away. I will not flee or attempt to escape. By the Aspects and Divine I swear I speak the truth and will abide by my words.”

  “Good enough.” Derrick agreed with a shrug as he shoved Syrah from his saddle. The girl twisted in the air and Shade had to bite his lip to keep from cursing out loud as she landed hard on the cobbles by the horse’s massive hooves. Derrick loosened the reins on his horse and leaned over his saddle to gaze down at the child with a wicked grin. “I thought Shifters always landed on their feet?” Amusement filled his voice as he spoke and several of his guards laughed in response. This time Shade detected the nervousness in their voices quiet clearly.

  Syrah rema
ined silent as she picked herself up from the ground and narrowly avoided the large grey’s hooves as it began to dance in place once more. She crossed to her father with her head held high despite her scraped knees and bleeding hands. Caleb dropped to his knees as she drew closer, still managing to keep a firm grip on his hostage despite the boy’s frantic attempts to escape him. For a moment Syrah looked as though she was going to burst into tears, but she clenched her jaw and bowed her head deeply to her father. Without so much as a slight embrace she turned on her heels and pointed back toward Derrick with a steady hand.

  “He killed Lord Micah, and he killed him slowly. Our lord died screaming in agony, Father.” She announced in a high clear voice. Her hand moved slightly to the right and settled on a young man in plate mail. “He killed Lord Honor and made Grandma Blue cry nearly every night. She wouldn’t speak of the violations he forced on her, but I know he treated Grandma cruelly.” Her tiny hand shifted once more and settled on a woman who stood just behind the line of horses and Shade felt his breath catch as he followed the child’s motion.

  He knew the woman Syrah was pointing at, though he had no idea what she was doing in Rivana. He hadn’t seen her in well over a year, and the last time he had seen her she had been deep in her cups. Grace Morcaillo looked to be stone cold sober today however. Her long auburn hair was pulled back in a tight braid and the expression on her normally relaxed face was severe. It was the first time he had ever seen his mother in anything but a dress. Today however she wore leather pants and an armored jacket. The sort of clothing a warrior favored, though he had never known his mother to be anything but a drunken fool.

  “She killed Mother and Ryven.” Syrah’s words barely reached his ears as Shade tried desperately to determine why his mother was with the Rivasans. As far as he had known she was still safely back in Morcath draining her bottles of wine for entertainment. Yet here she stood looking every bit as cold and cruel as Caleb had as he cut down Kellaria Rivasa.

  “Yes, yes, though it hardly matters you little brat. Your daddy is about to die as well. Life as an orphan shouldn’t be too bad though.” Derrick taunted in a voice that held more annoyance than amusement.

  Shade barely managed to peel his gaze from his mother as Syrah turned back to her father and placed a tiny hand on his cheek. His mind was reeling and he wanted nothing more than to charge out of the store and demand his mother explain herself. That was a foolish whim however and he knew it was the last possible thing he should consider doing. He needed to keep his eyes on Syrah so he knew when she was heading his way. He would hide her, and then he would figure out what Grace was doing here. Her appearance most definitely qualified as the unexpected in his eyes, and while he didn’t think his mother was trained in combat he doubted Caleb realized how dangerous even an untrained Changeling could be. Very few people did.

  “Momma says the pain we have faced would destroy most. Some it would make stronger, but you it will make strong enough to destroy.” Syrah said and for the first time since she had started speaking Shade detected a tremor in her voice. “Kill them all.” She added in a louder voice that was filled with more anger and hurt than a child her age should have been able to muster.

  Caleb leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to her forehead. His grey eyes met hers as he drew back from her. “Though my heart doth bleed with a suffering such as I have never known I will not falter, for only in the blood of the wicked will I find peace.” He intoned the words as if speaking a prayer and his daughter’s back straightened in response.

  Syrah’s chin tilted upwards once more and a faint smile creased her lips as her father fell silent. “And so I will cleanse their filth from this world. In my righteous fury I will teach their children a fear so true that they will never again stray from the path of light.” She finished the verse with the same formality as her father.

  “Live in peace Syrah and know that you were always loved more than life itself by both of your parents. I promise you love I will teach them fear and I will make them pay dearly for their sins.” Caleb’s voice was so soft Shade doubted most of the Rivasans could even hear what he was saying. If not for the heightened senses of the Blight form he wore he doubted he would have heard it. Caleb’s hand moved to rest on his daughter’s shoulder and her form shimmered under his touch. To everyone watching it looked as though Caleb had cast a teleportation spell upon the child, but Shade knew he had done nothing more than grant her a temporary invisibility to get her safely into the store. He wasn’t sure when Caleb had informed Syrah of what she was supposed to do, but guessed it was a mental link between the two of them.

  A soft scuff sounded on the wooden floor beside him and Shade glanced down as Syrah’s form began to slowly fade back into view. Without hesitation he reached down and took the child’s hand so that his Blight camouflage would conceal her as well.

  “Did your father tell you I would be waiting for you?” He asked as softly as he could. Voices were raised in the street once more, but Shade didn’t bother paying attention to the words. By the tone of it Derrick was blustering again and he doubted the man had anything to say that was worth hearing.

  “You are Shade. You are supposed to kill Derrick and then we flee.” Syrah returned in a soft voice that was barely audible.

  “A bit of a change of plans, but we will discuss it once we are in a safer place.” Shade corrected as he pulled her gently along behind him toward the back of the store. With luck there would be a back door, without luck he would make a back door. He wasn’t about to risk taking Syrah out onto the street where fighting might erupt at any moment.

  Fortune was smiling on them. The store had a back door as he had hoped and it wasn’t locked or guarded. With a quick push Shade shoved it open and hurriedly boosted Syrah to the roof ledge. With a quick hop he latched onto the edge of the gutter and scrambled his own way up in less time than it took most to mount a horse. Silently he took Syrah’s hand once more and carefully guided her up to the arch of the roof just in time to watch Derrick Rivasa sending his son off with a small escort of guards. Caleb still crouched in the street watching Derrick with a grim expression on his face. His grey eyes were locked on the Lord of Prendington with the patience of a predator. He was waiting for the right moment to pounce and Derrick didn’t even seem to realize it.

  “Was that a prayer to the Divine of Fear that you and your father intoned?” Shade asked softly. If it was a prayer and Caleb truly was an anointed priest perhaps his god would listen to him, because with the odds Caleb faced the man could dearly use a bit of Divine intervention. Caleb obviously wasn’t scared, of course a Priest of fear wouldn’t be, but Shade was certain that he was feeling enough fear for the both of them. His stomach was tied in so many knots that he doubted he would be able to eat properly for at least a month.

  “That was Kevala’s Drin. The last oath she gave to her people before she marched on the Dark Brotherhood during the thousand year war.” Syrah explained quietly. “It was one of the first things Daddy made me learn when my schooling started.” She added in a voice that was thick with pain.

  “Ready to die Bastard?” Derrick called in a voice that was filled with forced cheer. With one hand he motioned Grace forward and pointed toward Caleb. “Kill him.” He ordered casually and then glanced to his guards. “Help her and ensure it is done properly.” He added with distaste as he carefully backed his horse away from the open street.

  Caleb leaned forward pressing his palm firmly to the ground as Grace started forward and magic roiled in the air around him. She had barely taken two steps before the entire city shook violently. Cries rose from the guards and the horses screamed in panic, but Grace simply stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at Caleb. Cocking her head she turned to gaze toward the heart of the city where buildings were shaking visibly. A cold smile curved Caleb’s lips and the tremors increased dramatically as vines wrapped around the distant buildings nearly covering the sandstone walls. Screams rose from further inside the cit
y as the seeds Caleb had ordered scattered sprouted to life with more devastation than Shade would have ever believed possible. Even the walls surrounding the main fortress were giving under the punishment of the Stonevines, but he could tell how much magic it was draining from Caleb and prayed fervently that the man would stop while he still had enough energy to fight.

  “This city will crumble and burn before I draw my last breath.” Caleb announced as he rose to his feet unsteadily. “Your men will bleed and die before you, and all that you have been charged to protect will be destroyed.” He added in a louder voice as the tremors of the city slowly subsided.

  “You are only one man.” Derrick pointed out loudly then seemed to notice the hesitation on the faces around him. “He is only one man!” he snarled loudly and jabbed a finger in Caleb’s direction. “Kill the gods be damned bastard before he has time to work more magic.” He ordered as Caleb drew the black long sword from his belt and moved into a fighter’s stance.

  “And that is my cue. Stay right here Syrah. Unless of course your Daddy looks ready to destroy this building and then you should move to the next one over very quickly.” Shade whispered as he rose to a crouch and made his way silently toward the roof ledge closest to Derrick.

  He caught a glimpse of Grace moving toward Caleb once more and then his attention settled on Derrick. He had to trust Caleb to take care of himself for just a few minutes. Once Derrick was dead he would help him anyway he could, but killing the lord of Prendington was essential for all of their plans.

  * * *

  Zoelyn moved to follow as she heard Shade’s footsteps leaving the alley, but a tug from Dray’s hand brought her to a stop. She turned and eyed the Blight curiously as he shook his head slowly. Worry creased his face and he ran a hand through his long brown hair and bit his lip before speaking.