The Crow King's Wife

by Melissa Myers

  Nodding slowly Zoelyn turned the vial over and carefully removed the stopper to take a delicate sniff of the potion. Wrinkling her nose she glanced at Grim and then back to Shade. “He drinks it I suppose?” she asked doubtfully. From the smell of it she almost pitied Grim. It wasn’t something she would want to taste considering how badly it smelled. At Shade’s answering nod she held the vial to Grim’s lips and had to fight back amazement when he drank it without hesitation. He didn’t even bother remarking on the smell though he did grimace slightly and motion for water once it was empty.

  Shade smiled faintly once more. “Jala will be here soon. If the potion isn’t doing enough to help have her look in on him.” He watched Grim for another long moment with what seemed to be guilt hovering in the depths of his dark blue eyes.

  Zoelyn nodded slowly and watched Grim’s eyes flutter several times and then finally settle closed. His body relaxed as he sank into deep sleep. “How long will he stay asleep?” She asked softly though she doubted the sound of her voice would awaken him. His breathing was already too deep for it to be a natural sleep. It had to be the potion and that explained Shade’s guilt. He had drugged a friend even though he knew Grim wanted to be awake. It was obvious even to her that Grim had a thousand questions for Shade, and Shade had intentionally silenced him before he could ask any of them.

  “Forty-eight hours for a normal person. Rose says to expect twelve for Grim given his Shifter blood.” Shade answered quietly and there was definite guilt in his voice when he spoke. Clearing his throat he looked between Zoelyn and Dray and let out a soft sigh. “I would appreciate it if everything I say from this point on stays in this room. I understand if you feel obligated to speak on it later, but I would greatly appreciate your silence for a few hours at the very least. With what is coming next it may seem strange, but I have my reasons. I don’t want anyone to attempt to defend me later today, which is why Grim is sleeping at the present. Let the cards fall as they will please.” He waited until the both nodded then turned to Syrah. Digging in his pockets once more Shade pulled a storage stone out and offered it to the girl. “I think you might possibly be the only one I can give that to. I haven’t seen you show fear once, and everyone else would be afraid of this. There is a goblin inside it, but it is not a mean creature. If you feed it then it will follow you as loyally as a puppy. It is yours if you want it, if not please tell your father to release it. It cannot go with me once I leave Delvay.”

  “You are leaving Delvay?” Dray said in obvious shock.

  “I have other promises to keep that I have already delayed too long.” Shade replied softly, but didn’t bother to look at Dray. His gaze was still fixed on the child and the stone she held. Absently he pulled a pouch from his pocket and dropped it on the foot of the bed before her. “That is for you and your father if he decides to not return to Arovan. When you give it to him please let him know that it isn’t blood money. Those are gems that I had hidden on my ship for emergency use. I want the two of you to use them instead. If he manages them carefully it should be enough for you both to live well and pay for your schooling in the future if you decide to attend the University.”

  Zoelyn’s hands froze over the wound in Grim’s side. She had been trying to work and grant Shade as much privacy as he could until his last words. Tilting her head up silently she studied the dark circles under his eyes and the pale color of his skin. He didn’t look well at all, and his words weren’t the least bit reassuring. “You aren’t ever coming back?” she asked softly and watched the expression on his face closely as she spoke.

  A flicker of grief lit his eyes for a breath and then it was gone. Shaking his head slowly he forced a smile on his face. “I won’t be welcome in Delvay after today.” He spoke the words calmly, but she could see the tension in his shoulders increase. Something was very wrong and she didn’t have the slightest clue what it was.

  “What have you done?” Dray demanded as he pushed himself from the wall. The expression on his face was one of dread and anger. He was staring at Shade as if the man had just betrayed them all, and it was only then that she realized Dray was staring at Shade’s clothing rather than his face. He was wearing the blue and silver of House Morcaillo, and she hadn’t even noticed until that moment.

  “Dray, it’s Shade!” Zoelyn snapped as she rose to her feet as well. “How many stories has Jala told us about Shade? You know better than to doubt him. Shade is the last person we should suspect of being a traitor.”

  “Feel free to doubt me, Dray. I’ve done everything and I am most definitely a traitor.” Shade whispered cryptically as he turned for the door. “Don’t bother attacking me for it though. I’m sure Neph will want those honors.” He added as Dray took a step toward him.

  Zoelyn watched the door close behind him and turned to stare at Dray. After several breaths she realized her jaw was still hanging open and hastily closed her mouth then shook her head quickly to force her mind back into motion.

  “What the hell was that?” Dray demanded looking more than a little unsettled himself.

  “I have no idea. Follow him though. If he is going to talk with my Brother I want to know what it is about and I have to finish on Grim before I can leave here.” Zoelyn motioned toward the door as she spoke and shook her head once more as Dray practically bolted to follow her suggestion.

  Slowly she sank back into her chair as the door closed for the second time and stared down at Grim’s sleeping form. Shade had asked for her silence, but Grim would have to know. There was no other way for Syrah to explain the bag of gems or the goblin. It wasn’t going to be pretty when they explained it either, by the way Shade spoke something very bad was about to happen.

  Still stunned and utterly confused she focused on the wound before her. It required most of her concentration to locate and remove the quills which was nearly enough to keep her from dwelling on Shade’s last words. I am most definitely a traitor. It was almost impossible to imagine Shade as a traitor. She had seen him throw himself into the thick of danger too many times. Shade couldn’t be described as anything other than a hero, and yet he was wearing the blue and silver of House Morcaillo. Grinding her teeth she forced her mind clear once more and pulled another quill from Grim’s side.

  “He was lying to us.” Syrah spoke quietly breaking the silence of the room with her timid voice. “I watched him fight. He isn’t a traitor. He wouldn’t have killed his mother if he meant to return to his house.”

  Zoelyn froze and slowly looked up at Syrah. “Matricide.” She whispered and felt her mouth go dry at the word. She hadn’t truly focused on Shade’s crime until now. Her mind had locked on the fact that he had saved Grim’s life and she hadn’t bothered to consider the consequences of Shade’s actions. There wasn’t a single house on Sanctuary that would condone the killing of kin, let alone killing a parent no matter what the circumstances were. “He is cutting his ties with us to protect us. He knows how everyone will react when word spreads.”

  “So what do we do?” Syrah asked softly.

  “We keep your Father asleep as long as we can so I can sort out what to do without him going for my Brother’s throat.” Zoelyn mumbled and let out a long slow breath. “And then we strangle Shade for putting me in this position. When I have to answer to Grim about all of this he will go for my throat.” She added in a softer voice.

  * * *

  She was finishing the last stitch as the door opened and glanced up to see Dray poking his head around the doorway. The Blight’s expression was troubled and she felt her own stomach knot in response.

  “Have you finished enough that you can come to the main hall? Jala has just arrived and Neph is calling for everyone to attend in the Great Hall. Shade has refused to answer any of his questions and Neph is so pissed the vein in his forehead is standing out. You have to see this for yourself Zoelyn. Shade isn’t acting anything like he was in here. He is being a complete ass.” The words poured out of Dray and she could hear both excitement and
dread in his tone.

  Nodding slowly she rose from her chair and looked to Syrah. “Will you keep an eye on your Father until I return?” She asked hopefully and sighed with relief when the child nodded. “If he wakes find me at once alright?”

  “I will.” Syrah promised as she moved to the chair Zoelyn had just vacated and settled into its cushioned depths.

  Stifling a yawn Zoelyn stretched her back and followed Dray from the room. The knots in her stomach didn’t seem inclined to loosen and she had the unsettling feeling they would only get worse as the day progressed.

  “When I came to fetch you Jala had just arrived at the front gates. If we hurry we might be in time to hear everything that is said.” Dray explained as he picked up his pace.

  Wordlessly Zoelyn nodded and quickened her own steps to match the Blight’s. The halls of the city were empty as they practically ran toward the Great Hall, but she could hear the buzz of conversation echoing toward her. Everyone was already gathered, and by the sound of it something big was going on. It might be the return of the children or the arrival of the High Lady, then again it might be something Shade had done and they had already missed it.

  She was practically breathless when they finally reached the door and barely managed to slip inside and press herself back against a wall as Jala entered from the main doors. The High Lady was dressed like a queen in a long purple gown and wore a serene expression on her beautiful face. Valor walked easily at her side with a faint smile creasing his lips while the two Bendazzi trailed behind them both like royal guards.

  “She looks more like the Empress than the actual Empress does.” Dray whispered and Zoelyn had to nod in agreement.

  Zoelyn’s gaze shifted to her Brother who wore the same battered leather armor that he always did. Neph’s face was lit with a scowl that was softening as Jala approached, but Zoelyn could see the tension in his body that spoke of contained anger. It didn’t take much to determine the source of Neph’s fury. Shade lounged near Neph looking perfectly relaxed and rather insolent by the way his boots were propped so casually on the small table that rested in front of Neph’s throne. There wasn’t even a trace of the grief she had seen on him in Grim’s room and even his color seemed to have improved. He no longer looked pale and weary, if anything he seemed amused. A faint smirk pulled at Shade’s lips as he watched Jala draw closer, and Zoelyn could see the flicker of hesitation on Jala’s face as she caught sight of it.

  Jala didn’t falter in her steps though despite the confusion in her violet eyes. Her gaze never left the dais Neph was seated on until she drew to a stop a few feet in front of him. Her head bowed forward and her wine colored curls fell over her face as she gently released Valor’s arm and dropped to her knees before Neph’s throne. The gentle murmur of the room faded to silence as the High Lady of Merrodin humbled herself before the Delvay throne. Neph’s scowl faded completely in his shock and he leaned forward quickly to stare down at Jala in disbelief as she lowered her head to rest on the stone floor.

  “I come to Delvay for several reasons today, but the foremost is to beg your forgiveness High Lord NephonDelvayon. I turned my back on Delvay in anger and I spoke words that I regret more than I can say. I ask your forgiveness for my childish behavior and beg that Delvay will once again consider Merro as an ally, though I know I have no right to ask such things after my unforgivable behavior in your own city.” Jala’s words rang through the Great Hall and Zoelyn could see mouths dropping open around the room. The High Lady couldn’t have stunned the people of Delvay more had she paraded into the room naked and clucking like a chicken. Such things were simply not done in Delvay. No High Lord they knew would beg anything of anyone no matter the situation.

  “I’d accept that apology, Neph. Do you know how many men in Sanctuary would give their left nut to say Jala dropped to her knees before them? Of course no one will blame you if you embellish the story a bit when you retell it. A person could add so many tawdry details to that kind of story.” Shade observed in obvious amusement.

  The silence of the room deepened at his words and Neph glared daggers at the man before rising from his throne to move quickly to Jala’s side. Still silent he took her gently by the arm and pulled her to her feet. “Never feel you have to grovel before me again, Jala. I deserved your treatment and there is nothing to forgive. You accused me of a crime I was guilty of, nothing more can be said of it.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace as he spoke. “Merro will always be considered an ally of Delvay. If not for the actions of High Lady Merrodin we would not be sitting here today.” He declared loudly to everyone in the room as he stepped back from Jala and smiled down at her.

  Neph seemed to notice Valor for the first time then and Zoelyn watched as the gentle smile on her brother’s face slowly withered. Letting out a deep breath he bowed his head in Valor’s direction. “Lord Hai’dia I know you are expecting me to return the children of Arovan to you today, but I regret to inform you that two of the ones rescued are not in my keeping. I would be happy to tell you where they are, but Shade has refused to explain that to me. He left the city with them as well as some two hundred rescued slaves and did not bother to bring them with him when he returned.”

  All eyes moved to Shade at Neph’s words and Zoelyn could see the furrow on Jala’s brow even from the distance she stood at. To his credit Shade looked perfectly relaxed despite the attention that was now riveted on him.

  “Shade?” Jala asked in obvious confusion. Her full lips drew into a frown and she glanced at Valor and then back to Shade as if she thought perhaps she had misheard Neph’s words.

  “Does it really matter where they are? The two hundred were commons and the girls that are missing were fat with child. It’s not as if their families would have welcomed them back anyway.” Shade returned casually as he dropped his feet to the floor and stretched is arms in apparent boredom. “I’m a bit more interested in the fact that we need to visit the Blights. I fail to see why a few missing slaves merits this much attention.” He added in annoyance.

  “Two hundred people is more than a few missing slaves. Delvay does not believe in slavery. Those people were refuges to us.” Neph snarled in response and Zoelyn could see the anger tearing through her Brother’s patience. If Shade didn’t answer soon Neph would resort to violence and she knew it.

  “I find myself rather interested as well.” Jala said quietly as she studied Shade intently her eyes lingering on his fine clothing.

  “I sold them. I realize that you and Neph consider it dishonorable, but honor doesn’t repair my ship or put clothes on my back. Unlike the two of you I don’t have the luxury of drawing on a treasury when I need something.” Shade replied flippantly and waved his hand as if to move the conversation past something he obviously found trivial. By the reaction of the gathered hall though he was the only one that found the matter trivial, angry murmurs had begun to fill the room with his first few words.

  “You what?” Neph demanded in outrage. The vein in his forehead was indeed pulsing Zoelyn noted with growing alarm, and by the expression on Jala’s face the High Lady wasn’t far behind Neph with her anger.

  “You sold children of Arovan?” Valor gasped in complete bewilderment. Unlike his friends Valor looked more aghast than angry, and seemed to be holding his composure far better than his wife.

  “They were commons!” Shade returned with anger edging his own voice. He rose from his chair and took a single step toward Jala and glared down at her. “Do you honestly expect me to live like a pauper and beg for scraps from your table Lady Merrodin?” He demanded in an outraged voice. “It will be some time before the Blight’s have enough treasury built up for me to survive on. If I am going to govern them properly I will have to have funds to draw on.” He continued and shook his head at both of them in apparent disgust.

  “What?” The word burst from Jala’s mouth with such force that it was barely coherent. Magic roiled off of her in angry waves, and the Bendazzi b
ehind her looked ready to attack. Shade was on treacherous ground, and he seemed to be the only one that didn’t realize it.

  “Oh please let him shut up now.” Zoelyn whispered. Dray had stiffened beside her at Shade’s words about governing the Blights, and she knew she was the only one in the room that was feeling the slightest bit of sympathy for Shade. When he had spoken with them privately she hadn’t understood what he meant when he asked for no one to defend him. Now she understood perfectly and it was taking everything she had to remain silent despite her earlier agreement.

  “How exactly do you expect to control those creatures without me, Jala?” Shade demanded and held up a hand in front of him to show her the rings covering his fingers. “Do you see that signet? That is a true House Morcaillo ring. I threw my own away when I left home, but I managed to scavenge this one off of my Mother’s corpse when I killed her. It’s fortunate that she was in Rivana. This gives us the extra edge we need to control the Blights, and through them we should be able to kill off my Father. With him dead I can turn control of the Blight’s over to you and take my rightful seat as the High Lord of Morcaillo.”

  All color bled from Jala’s face and her eyes widened as she shook her head in disgust. “I don’t want to control them.” She hissed as she shook her head more violently at Shade. “Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”

  “Anything else would be idiotic. Have you actually seen how those creatures behave? Did you honestly expect them to govern themselves?” Shade asked mockingly and shook his head in rebuke. “Don’t be an idealistic fool, Jala. We are right on the brink of success and you are all hung up on the sale of cattle.”

  “They were human beings!” Neph roared in response. Zoelyn could see the dim glow of magic forming around her Brother’s hand and tried not to imagine what spell he was preparing. With the level of anger Neph was feeling she sincerely doubted it would be a simple disabling when it hit Shade. She would bet solid money it was something intended to be fatal. She knew her Brother hadn’t cared much for Shade even before today’s upset.